Just How Much Freedom Does The Constitution Afford Reporters

[Athena]

Advocates say ruling chills reporters

By JOHN DUNBAR, Associated Press Writer
Sat Mar 8, 1:50 PM ET

WASHINGTON - A judge is trying to bankrupt an ex-reporter with daily fines as much as $5,000 for refusing to disclose her sources for stories about the 2001 anthrax attacks, press advocates said Saturday.

They also said the case involving Toni Locy shows why Congress should pass a federal shield law for reporters.

Full Story (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080308/ap_on_go_ot/anthrax_reporter;_ylt=AlgvtRHpxjEo1O7X27ysqYayFz4D )

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Should reporters be forced to name sources? What does that do to the state of journalism in this country?

[TXChris]

The idea of freedom of the press/freedom of speech is based in the belief that nobody should ever be denied access to information, especially by the government. This is the most basic of our guarantees as, without it, one could not have the other liberties they are guaranteed. Information IS power. Once people are denied access to information that government deems counterproductive to the end they are seeking, the populace becomes indoctrinated. When reporters are required to disclose their sources it will only lead to less information becoming available for the public. After all, if something is that important, or controversial, that a source is worried about someone finding out that they "spilled the beans," so to speak, then who is going to be left to take the chance? Individuals HAVE to have the guarantee of anonymity otherwise we will be left with what those who have the power want us to believe, and with that comes the end of true liberty.

[gprime]

I'm torn here. After all, there are instances of legitimate national security concerns that have to be dealt with carefully. But generally, I think we owe it to ourselves to air on the side of liberty, and respect the fact that free speech includes the right not to speak, and that the press must be allowed to act without reporting to the government. There are countries, like Israel, where the press controls are far stricter. But there is usually very good reason for (in their case, to hide kassam targets so that the terrorists cannot lock onto any prime targets). I'm not inclined to believe that we regularly run into the same sort of issues enough that we need to do anything other than handle it on a case by case basis.