Support A Federal Shield Law For Journalists
The jailing of New York Times reporter, Judith Miller, for refusing to disclose her confidential sources to a federal grand jury underscores the importance of establishing a federal protection for bona fide reporters. This petition is designed to create grassroots support for S.340, sponsored by Senator Lugar, and H.R. 581, sponsored by Rep. Pence.
A free society requires a free press. Allowing a free press to report on government activities without fear of being compelled to reveal sources and protecting whistleblowers who disclose wrongdoing is in the public interest and helps to preserve a free society. The jailing of Judith Miller, a New York Times reporter, for declining to reveal her sources in connection with a federal prosecutor's investigation into the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity by White House officials underscores the need for a federal shield law. Presently, 39 states and the District of Columbia have shield laws for journalists, but a similar protection is lacking at the federal level. This failure would be largely remedied with the enactment of bills S. 340 and H.R. 581 currently pending before Congress. I urge you to join us in supporting this legislation.
The Committee to Free Judith Miller
