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Wisconsin State Journal — Advance shield law
- By: ASNE staff
- On: 07/31/2007 12:24:04
- In: Shield law editorials
Wisconsin State Journal, Madison
July 30, 2007
U.S. Reps. Tammy Baldwin and James Sensenbrenner should pressure the House Judiciary Committee this week to take up a bill preserving press freedom.
The Free Flow of Information Act would protect a journalist's right
Wisconsin State Journal, Madison
July 30, 2007
U.S. Reps. Tammy Baldwin and James Sensenbrenner should pressure the House Judiciary Committee this week to take up a bill preserving press freedom.
The Free Flow of Information Act would protect a journalist's right to keep sources confidential, except in narrowly defined cases. The bill has been rescheduled twice and may not get a hearing before the August recess unless chairman John Conyers, D-Michigan, sets a date soon.
Baldwin, D-Madison, a cosponsor, and Sensenbrenner, R-Menomonee Falls, serve on Conyer's committee. They should do whatever they can to get this proposal moving.
Journalists sometimes must protect whistle-blowers from retribution by keeping their names secret. This practice has brought huge amounts of stunning information about illegal and unethical activities to the public's attention.
Confidentiality can empower ordinary citizens and keep a check on the powerful. But overzealous prosecutors and judges have threatened journalists with jail time if they refuse to reveal their sources.
The Free Flow of Information Act would bar such pressure, except when prosecutors prove they need the information to prevent harm or to protect national security or when they can't get the information by any other means.
A federal shield law would set uniform rules for cases across the nation. It would especially help journalists in states such as Wisconsin that do not have strong protections.
The bill is vital to democracy and deserves quick action.