Senate hearing coming up July 20 on news sourcing

[cynatnite]

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee could be the next stop for the those involved in the federal probe into who exposed undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame as it weighs a bill that would protect reporters who refuse to identify their sources.

Those called to testify could include the media outlets and the prosecutor in the case, in which New York Times reporter Judith Miller was jailed Wednesday. Plame's identity was first revealed publicly in a column by Robert Novak.

"If they would be interested in coming to testify, I think it would be informative and possibly useful," said Sen. John Cornyn (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas, a former Texas Supreme Court judge and state attorney general.

Despite a pending Supreme Court nomination, Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., has said the media shield bill — sponsored by Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind. — is one of several he expects to come before his committee this month. A spokesman said Wednesday the hearing is tentatively set for July 20 and that a witness list still is being worked out with Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record), the panel's top Democrat.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050706/ap_on_go_co/media_shield_law