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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 4 page paper argues that it is necessary to have a “shield law” at the federal level protecting journalists from having to reveal their confidential sources. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
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4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVshldlw.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
otherwise not come to light. This paper argues that this protection is not only necessary, but should be extended to everyone in the form of a federal shielding law. Discussion
If a country is to have a real democracy, then it must have a free press, because only a free press can expose government malfeasance (Gora). This has been a
principle of American jurisprudence since the founding of the nation: "The Governments power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the
Government" (Gora 1399). Furthermore, the press was "protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people" (Gora 1399). And part of that protection is the
protection of sources-those people who are willing to talk to reporters about what theyve seen, or know is being done that runs counter to the public good (Gora). Protecting people
who give valuable information to the media is necessary because a "reporter is no better than his source of information. Unless he has a privilege to withhold the identity of
his source, he will be the victim of governmental intrigue or aggression. If he can be summoned to testify in secret before a grand jury, his sources will dry up
and the attempted exposure, the effort to enlighten the public, will be ended" (Gora 1399). Gora argues that if reporters cannot protect their sources, then they will have no function
other than to pass along to the American people the press releases put out by various government agencies (Gora). They will become, in short, nothing more than a funnel for
official propaganda, and not independent investigative journalists. The legal case on which this matter turns seems to be Branzburg v. Hayes, which was decided in 1972 (Branzburg v. Hayes). Here
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