CONCORD — Technology has provided the masses with new power to highlight oppression, Vice President Joseph Biden told an audience at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications First Amendment Awards.

“Someone with a cell phone, someone with a small camera, was able to send video exposing the lies, the atrocities, the butchery taking place in each of those countries,” Biden said, referring to uprisings in Egypt and Syria.

Biden was the keynote speaker Thursday night for the 9th annual awards ceremony at the Capitol Center for the Arts, in which the Portsmouth Herald was honored for its efforts to change two state laws to protect free speech and free press and to expand the public’s right to know.

Portsmouth Herald Executive Editor Howard Altschiller successfully organized an effort among New Hampshire newspapers and broadcasters to change a law that made it illegal to disclose the arrest or conviction of a person after the arrest or conviction had been annulled.

Media representatives, supported by the Attorney General’s Office, testified in the Legislature that the annulment law was confusing and threatened the rights of free speech and free press.

The award was presented by Ken Sheldon, president of Bank of America New Hampshire, sponsor of the First Amendment Award.

Before the ceremony, Altschiller said the award “is a vindication of what we feel our mission is. We open doors to the public so they have the information they need to make informed decisions.”

The newspaper also prompted law changes that now give the public the right to see information about traffic accidents involving public employees or officials.

The newspaper, led by an investigation by reporter Elizabeth Dinan, argued that loopholes in the Driver Privacy Act had allowed state and local officials — including police officers — to misuse a law that was intended to protect the privacy of ordinary citizens.

After being denied access to investigative reports about a cruiser crash that injured an officer and another driver, the Herald received a copy of the reports from a source and learned that investigators concluded the officer broke three state laws when he sped through a red light at more than 100 mph.

“I’m honored, humbled and encouraged to go out and do more,” Dinan said before the ceremony. “I thought I would just pick up the phone and get the information (about the accident). I never thought it would turn into this kind of thing.”

Biden told the audience that the Internet “must, must, must remain free despite all the dangers it presents on its downside.”

He said the administration of President Barack Obama has created innovations to make itself more accountable to the public, including through providing full disclosure of how Recovery Act funds are spent at the website recovery.gov.

He said attempting to decide between liberty and security “is a false choice. You will be told you can’t have both. But I am convinced of the concept of the American idealistic exceptionalism.”

However, The New York Times last month filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration over the Justice Department’s denial of a Freedom of Information Act request from the paper that sought an explanation of the federal government’s interpretation of a part of the Patriot Act.

Led by presenting sponsor Wheelabrator Technologies, the First Amendment Awards are backed by many business, civic and media leaders.

Other major supporters include: PSNH, People’s United Bank, Amoskeag Beverages, Bank of America, TD Charitable Foundation, The Common Man Family of Restaurants, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England, Laconia Savings Bank, SilverTech, Joe and Signe McQuaid, BAE Systems, Jon Huntsman for President, Lincoln Financial Group, Live Free or Die Alliance, Sean and Kirsten Mahoney, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the Dupont Group, McLane Law Firm, Fidelity Investments, Southern New Hampshire University and Mosse & Mosse Associates.