The Jailing of Judith Miller - New York Times

Editors:


Re: “The Jailing of Judith Miller” (by William Safire, June 29 2005, OpEd).



Safire makes clear that journalists’ privilege is in conflict with citizens’ rights. An absolute privilege for journalistic sources is a weapon with which vindictive government officials would victimize citizens who oppose it. Citizens are defenseless against such abuses.

A nuanced ethical standard is required, promulgated and policed by a national journalist organization. Journalists should protect sources whose leaks promote a public good – as found by a judge -- and be required to expose those whose leaks do not. This would put prospective leakers on notice that if their leaks serve no public good, they will be exposed by the journalist, backed by the journalists’ national organization. If journalists don’t produce this standard themselves, we must ask courts to do it in our defense. Thankfully, they are.