According to FirstAmendmentCenter.org, a bill making its way through committee in the Senate would enhance protection for journalists when it comes to naming sources or releasing confidential information in court.
It’s about time this happened. According to the article, a similar bill was also passed in the House of Representatives earlier this year.
Lawyers can already claim attorney-client privilege and refuse to divulge confidential information. Why not journalists?
Look at the situation surrounding the Valerie Plame affair. Judith Miller, a journalist for The New York Times, was jailed after she refused to release information.
As she said, keeping a source’s confidence is vital to journalism and the exercise of the First Amendment.
This bill must make it out of committee and be presented to the full Senate.
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I predict this will never happen.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with you. Also, it would've been easier to pass without the likes of Jayson Blair.
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