Opponents of a federal shield law routinely attempt to structure the issue as an effort by journalists to gain special privileges to conduct their business.
But a law that would, under limited circumstances, allow reporters to withhold the identity of whistleblowers and anonymous sources in reality would protect the source.
A federal shield law pending in Congress would be good for democracy and would strike a blow for the public’s right to know. We hope that Congress, when it returns from its August break, will continue to support this bipartisan bill, despite opposition from the Bush administration.
Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia have adopted shield laws and 17 other states have recognized a reporter’s privilege through judicial decision. But a federal law has never been successful.
The pending measure would provide important – but not absolute – protection for the promise of anonymity that reporters make sources in exchange for information that might otherwise never see the light of day.
Government threats to put journalists in jail for refusing to divulge confidential sources are coming fast and furious. A federal shield law is long overdue and we urge the House and Senate to pass the Free Flow of Information Act of 2007 to protect the public’s right to know.
