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Republican — Shield law for press protects democracy — Oct. 10, 2007

The Republican, Springfield, Mass.
Oct. 10, 2007

Almost immediately after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq in 2003, an estimated 200 newspapers and magazines sprouted up across the country.

The United States encouraged the editors and reporters of those p

The Republican, Springfield, Mass.
Oct. 10, 2007

Almost immediately after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq in 2003, an estimated 200 newspapers and magazines sprouted up across the country.

The United States encouraged the editors and reporters of those publications, recognizing that a free press is every bit as important in a democracy as free elections.

The United States knows a thing or two about democracy, yet Congress has yet to pass a federal shield law that recognizes the need for a free and independent press in this country.

The Senate Judiciary Act approved such a bill last week, but the Free Flow of Information Act still faces hurdles from those who think it is still too much of a threat to national security.

In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, some officials in Washington think it is easier to keep the nation safe if they keep the public in the dark. Under the Bush administration, the federal government has classified more documents than any previous administration.

Confidential sources can be essential when a reporter is attempting to secure information, whether it's a story about conditions at Walter Reed Medical Center or a story about the role of politics inside the Justice Department or a story about the use of torture by the CIA.

Yet it seems almost common practice for reporters today to be threatened with fines and jail sentences as a first resort if they don't reveal their sources and turn over notes. According to the Newspaper Association of America, more than 40 reporters have been subpoenaed or questioned about their confidential sources in the past few years.

For the record, this newspaper is working with others in support of a bill sponsored by the Massachusetts Newspapers Association to establish a comprehensive shield law in this state. We feel as strongly about a federal shield law.

The Founding Fathers did not want to live in a country where reporters who defy the government could be thrown in jail.

We've been there. It's called Iraq.

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