Posted on 07/21/2005 6:35:46 AM PDT by Crush T Velour
Armstrong Williams was castigated in the Press for taking advertising money to advocate a program he was already advocating. The crime? He didn't "disclose" his financial "relationship" with the Education Department.
So why is it that the Press can discuss the shield law in a manner that can only be described as ADVOCATING it, without disclosing "Oh by the way, we reporters and anchorpeople who are reporting this? We're the major beneficiaries of this law. This law is seeking to give us an exemption that other Americans don't have. This law won't for example protect bloggers...just us."
Personally, I think it is a good thing that the next time the NYT gins up a phony scandal that was actually caused by one of THEIR reporters, that their reporters might actually have to suffer for it to any degree that they are involved.
good point, only according to the press, all are created equal, but some (the press) Are more equal than others.
Assume the a Reuters reporter in Washington, DC is told/learns at a Saudi/Syrian/Egyptian reception that a Palestian, known to be a Hamas leader, will present martyrs' checks at a house in Gaza at 10:00AM on 7/22/05. The reporter, in turn, sells that information to one of the DC Mossad agents and, a little after 10:00 AM on 7/22/05, the IDF takes out the house and the Hamas guy.
In the subsequent law suit (the Hamas guy was a Canadian by birth), the Reuters reporter claims immunity under the shield law.
The same Reuters guy would be as likely to sell US targeting material to the next batch of Muslim 9/11 terrorists. If caught, would he be allowed to claim immunity under the shield law? A confidential source is a property right to help enrich lazy reporters. It has nothing to do with "freedom of the press" and, in fact, allows a corrupt media to protect those who fudge circulation numbers, fake sources and pursue a political agenda.
Reporters/media should NOT have any protection to fabricate stories, they should be held fully accountable for the crap they publish.
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