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: Objective Justice

Reporter's Shield Bill

By Sean Sirrine

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I thought that this was an interesting insight into the world of federalism in the U.S. So far, 37 state attorneys general have signed a letter urging the U.S. Senate to support a bill that would shield the media from having to report their sources.

Of course, the President of the U.S. thinks it is a bad idea because he is afraid of "leaks." (I'm sure he is concerned for people like Valerie Plame.) However, state government desires the "free flow" of ideas that can only occur when the media outlets are free to report based on the information they derive from their informants.

Of course, anyone who reveals national security secrets should still get punished to the full extent of the law, but any other reporting should be fair game. Otherwise, the government can just "classify" anything that it doesn't want the public to know about and lock-up anyone who dares talk about it.

That is the epitome of a dictatorsip.

From The Raw Story:

More than two-thirds of state attorneys general now back the right of reporters to withhold the identity of their sources in most federal court cases.

The Newspaper Association of America said Thursday that 37 attorneys general have signed a letter to Senate leaders in support of a media shield bill.

. . . . .

A media shield bill won passage overwhelmingly in the House in October, after a similar measure cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Full post as published by Objective Justice on June 20, 2008 (boomark / email).