Federal shield law protects public’s right to know
Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the Aug. 24, 2010, Reno Gazette-Journal.
On the surface, a law limiting the circumstances under which a reporter could be subpoenaed by federal authorities to disclose their sources might appear to be special-interest legislation.
It’s not.
When a federal prosecutor subpoenas a reporter — as the New York Times’ Judith Miller was subpoenaed several years ago in connection with the leak of CIA employee Judith Plame’s name to a columnist — the reporter isn’t really the target.
Instead, the real target is the reporter’s sources — men and women who have the audacity to try to shine a little light on what those in power prefer to keep in the dark.
The real target is your right to know.