AP Scandal: The Chilling Effect It Will Have on Journalists Already Working in Chilly Environment

[limpyhobbler]

...
The point was made by Rottman that this is not just about protecting the press but rather protecting the First Amendment. "It's about us and it’s about our ability to know what the government is doing. And that’s especially important in national security cases where the government has vast authority to keep what it’s doing secret."

He described the chilling effect the seizure could have on reporting:

…Reporters are going to be wary of giving sources assurances of confidentiality because they know they can’t keep that promise because the government is going to break it. Sources are going to be wary of even taking phone calls from the press because they know that if they even get the phone call it’s quite possible they’ll show up on the phone records that are seized by the Department of Justice in a leak investigation. Reporters are not going to be able to rely on telephones to do their jobs...

Reporters may have to use "burners"—throwaway telephones when communicating with sources—just like drug dealers.

"This is actually sort of a problem with the classification as a whole. Leaks are vilified by folks in Congress and the [Obama] administration," Bloom added. "But, when it comes down to it, there’s really no incentive for the administration to classify information and so all kinds of stuff that really shouldn’t be classified and is absolutely in the public interest gets classified. So, these leaks are a part of the news media trying to do it’s job and fill its function in our democracy and under our Constitution in the face of this broken classification system."
...

http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2013/05/18/seizing-aps-phone-records-the-chilling-effect-it-will-have-on-journalists-who-were-already-working-in-chilly-environment/

[Tx4obama]

1. Media needs to reflect on why the hell they used the GOP's Benghazi fake emails/talking points

... when they did not have any evidence.

They should be ashamed of themselves, and they need to start doing their jobs properly in the future.

[Mnemosyne]

2. Guess they didn't bother to read the 'Patriot' Act, which made newsgathering basically

illegal. Can't remember the section right off hand, but it's in there.

[socialsecurityisAAA]

3. The patriotics act basically says if the government labels you a terrorist,or says you're aiding

terrorists then they get to do whatever they want to you. The Patriot act isn't remotely constitutional, but so much isn't anymore. I can't believe we have laws like the Export Administration Act which basically outlaws private corporations and firms from participating in the boycott of Israeli apartheid and occupation??? Its a shame, damn shame!

[nlomb269]

4. Patriot Act is an extension of continuity of government first initiated under Rex 84

under Rex 84, the topic of warrant-less wiretapping (as well as detention of citizens) first reared it's ugly head. It is a blueprint for martial law which now has been formalized into law by the Patriot Act. Peter Dale Scott's books, is a good start for researching the history of this type of legislation

[hrmjustin]

5. Welcome to DU my friend!