Reporters need a shield.Byline: The Register-Guard While it's good news that the Senate Judiciary Committee The U.S. Senate established the Committee on the Judiciary on December 10, 1816, as one of the original 11 standing committees. It is also one of the most powerful committees in Congress; among its wide range of jurisdictions is investigation of federal judicial nominees and oversight of overwhelmingly has supported a bill to shield reporters from being forced to reveal their sources in federal court, the champagne corks aren't popping in U.S. newsrooms. The bill faces formidable opposition from the Bush administration, which is playing the terrorism fear card for all itOs worth to cow lawmakers into submission. It's a tactic that has, sadly, been ruthlessly ruth·less adj. Having no compassion or pity; merciless: ruthless cruelty; ruthless opportunism. ruth effective in producing sheep-like congressional support for launching unwarranted wars, eroding the civil liberties of American citizens and turning a blind eye to the abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody. No one should discount the power of the "t-word" to emulsify e·mul·si·fy v. To make into an emulsion. e·mul  si·fi·ca tion n. the spines of
enough senators and representatives to scuttle a law that the
secrecy-obsessed Bush administration hates on its face.
But the truth - another thing the Bush administration has struggled with - is that the national security concerns raised by prosecutors and police officers largely have been addressed in a series of revisions to the language of the proposed bill. The "shield" in shield law shield law n. A law that protects journalists from being compelled to reveal confidential sources of information. refers to legal protection for reporters from having to reveal the identity of confidential sources or turn over unpublished notes, photographs or other work items demanded by federal prosecutors. But itOs a deliberately qualified privilege The defense of qualified privilege permits persons in positions of authority or trust to make statements or relay or report statements that would be considered slander and libel if made by anyone else. . Language in the current legislation would not confer the protection of confidential sources if the government could show with a preponderance of evidence A standard of proof that must be met by a plaintiff if he or she is to win a civil action. In a civil case, the plaintiff has the burden of proving the facts and claims asserted in the complaint. that disclosure would prevent an act of terrorism or would avoid "significant harm to national security." The Bush administration doesn't want to admit that its real concern isn't some far-fetched hypothetical that a shield law would protect terrorists masquerading 1. (networking) masquerading - "NAT" (Linux kernel name). 2. (messaging) masquerading - Hiding the names of internal e-mail client and gateway machines from the outside world by rewriting the "From" address and other headers as the message leaves the as journalists. It's that the law would make it easier for whistle-blowers to bring government abuses to the attention of a journalist. Whistle-blowers' identities could be kept confidential to protect their careers. The reason Congress is considering a national shield law similar to the protections available to journalists in a majority of states is that the federal government repeatedly has threatened - and in several cases jailed - journalists who refused to name their confidential sources. A federal shield law offering qualified protection to journalists is essential if the news media are to fulfill their obligation to serve as a credible check on government. If that function can be thwarted thwart tr.v. thwart·ed, thwart·ing, thwarts 1. To prevent the occurrence, realization, or attainment of: They thwarted her plans. 2. routinely with the threat of jail, democracy and society are the losers. |
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