Editorial: Protecting the truth

Monday, Oct. 8, 2007 | 7:16 a.m.

Legislation moving through Congress would protect journalists from being forced to reveal their sources in federal court - an important safeguard in a nation that values a free and open press.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the measure 15-2 Thursday, which means it is headed for the full Senate. The House Judiciary Committee approved similar legislation in August, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised a full House vote on the bill by year's end.

Without protections that allow reporters to keep sources' identities confidential, people with knowledge of government fraud, waste and corruption are less likely to step forward and tell what they know.

The White House opposes such legislation, saying that such protections make it difficult to uncover the source of government leaks, and therefore threaten national security.

In reality, of course, the opposite is true. People are more likely to tell reporters - and, by doing so, the public - about government corruption if they are certain that their identities will be protected. It is more likely that the increased opportunity of public scrutiny, rather than national security breaches, is what Bush and other shield law opponents fear.

Shield laws already are working well in 33 states, where investigators have managed to effectively pursue wrongdoers without requiring reporters to divulge their sources. It is only reasonable to demand the same of the federal government.

Congress should pass this legislation that protects journalists' abilities to shed light on the work of government. It is corruption - not national security - that thrives in darkness and secrecy.