If you've been following the case of Judith Miller, the New York Times reporter who spent 85 days in federal jail for protecting a confidential source, you might want to read this report written by Peter Scheer, executive director of the California First Amendment Coalition.
Also, just read that Maureen Dowd has finally commented on Miller in her column, titled Woman of Mass Destruction.
"She never knew when to quit. That was her talent and her flaw. Sorely in need of a tight editorial leash, she was kept on no leash at all, and that has hurt this paper and its trust with readers. She more than earned her sobriquet 'Miss Run Amok.'"
If you Google "Dowd and Miller," you can find the column. Otherwise, you can go to New York Times and sign up for a 14-day free trial (just remember to cancel it later if you don't want to be charged for a subscription after 14 days).
I wrote about Judith Miller's case last summer in a column.
With all we know now, do you have any thoughts to share?
1 comment:
OK, so I agree with the stance that Miller's right to keep her sources confidential should be protected by a Federal Shield Law and I applaud her going to jail over violating the promise of confidentiality that she gave to a source--if she hadn't done these things, the precendent set for investigative journalists everywhere could be shattering.
However, I would also contend that Miller's moral compass and sense as a reporter was hugely flawed, and deserves criticism. She wasn't protecting a whistle-blower or an informant trying to uncover the truth. She was protecting (presumably) an orchestrator (or several orchestrators) of a government cover-up, not to mention someone who was a participant in the Bush Administration's build-up to a war waged on false pretenses, which included open and willful deception of the American people.
As much as Miller's stand on confidentiality helps other journalists protect their sources, the idea that she would be held up as some sort of journalistic stalwart protecting the profession makes my stomach turn...
Posted by: Jon Mendelson at October 25, 2005 06:06 PM
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