PenceBlog: <i> USA Today</i> lauds media shield - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence : 6th District Of Indiana

Check out this editorial in USA Today about Congressman Pence's media shield bill. Key excerpt:

Journalists who relied on unnamed sources, and protected unpublished notes and photos, are responsible for exposing major scandals such as Watergate, Enron and the Abu Ghraib prison abuses. But when whistle-blowers have reason to fear they might risk retaliation because their names and information won't be protected, such sources will dry up and the public will be the loser.

Two weeks ago, Washington state joined 32 others that have "reporter shield laws," which allow reporters to keep their sources private. But no such law restricts the long arm of the federal government.

Bipartisan legislation introduced this month would fix that. The Free Flow of Information Act would require lawyers seeking to commandeer a reporter's or photographer's work to convince a judge first that the information being sought serves a greater public interest than maintaining the public interest in gathering the news and protecting the free flow of information. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., one of Congress' most rigorous conservatives and one of the bill's prime sponsors, says "a free and independent press is the only agency that has complete freedom to hold government accountable."

posted by Pence Press Office # 12:16 PM