Conservatives support federal shield law

By Michael Fraase

Tuesday, 13 May 2008 08:12PM CST

Section: Law

ConfidentialityIt’s plumb amazing that the United States doesn’t have a federal shield law even though 49 of the states have recognized some sort of confidentiality protection for journalists. All three remaining presidential candidates support it—although John McCain’s support is narrow because of concerns about, you guessed it, national security—but not President Bush.

Conservatives generally support the concept of protecting journalists’ confidential sources; last year the House of Representatives passed federal shield law legislation 398-21, co-authored by Representative Mike Pence (R-Indiana), one of the more conservative members. Pence told Eric Lichtblau and Philip Shenon of the New York Times that “the only check on government power in real time is a free and independent press,” and that protecting confidential sources “is not about protecting reporters; it’s about protecting the public’s right to know.”

Bush’s resistance is substantial: six cabinet-level officials have spoken out against the legislation, mostly citing national security concerns.

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