Saturday, January 03, 2004

 

Leaks & Sources

Yes, I realize it's important to find out who leaked the name of an undercover CIA agent to columnist Robert Novak. However, I think it's wrong to ask White House staff members to sign forms waiving their right to have private conversations with reporters.

According to The New York Times: Investigators in leak cases focus on government employees because they almost never succeed in obtaining information from reporters about their sources. It is unclear whether the waiver process would place any additional pressure on a reporter to reveal a source.

As if reporters don't have enough pressure on them. How can reporters expect to get anyone to talk to them if they can't guarantee anonymity? That guarantee isn't always necessary, but sometimes it is. For the juicy, important stories, it almost always is.

posted by Anne 1/03/2004 08:11:00 AM