New York Times journalist Judith Miller was sent to jail on July 6 for for refusing to testify to a grand jury inquiry into the leak of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame. Miller was in with a source who had information about the leak, but will not reveal who it is. This inquiry has become a witch hunt and Miller’s arrest violates the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment which protects free speech and the free press.
The inquiry’s special prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, has said, “Journalists are not entitled to promise complete confidentiality — no one in America is.” This threat to confidentiality compromises journalistic integrity.
Journalists report on issues the general public are not always aware of. Sources are an integral part of journalists’ ability to bring these controversial issues to light and many will often only disclose information on the condition of anonymity. Judith Miller is upholding her principles as a journalist by refusing to reveal the name of her source. Miller’s situation calls attention to the reality that a US federal shield law does not exist to protect journalists from being prosecuted for doing their jobs. This omission is not just an issue south of the border, either. In November 2004, the RCMP raided Ottawa Citizen reporter Juliet O’Neill’s home for information about Canadian Maher Arar, detained in Syria as a suspected terrorist. In December 2004, The Hamilton Spectator reporter Ken Peters was fined $31,600 for refusing to reveal his source for a story about a Hamilton nursing home.
It is an unfortunate comment on our society when journalists are being held responsible for the shortcomings of state. The Miller incident forces us to realize that without journalism, we would be ignorant of many of the actions and decisions of governments and what’s more, there would be no one to hold them able. If journalists are unable to guarantee confidentiality to their sources, very pertinent issues could remain dormant indefinitely.
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