San Francisco Bay Guardian 9 January---Independent Oakland reporter Sarah Olson could face felony charges for refusing to testify against a conscientious objector whose court-martial "stem[s] from interviews he gave Olson...in which he openly criticized the Bush administration and the war on Iraq." She explains why she expects little relief from journalist shield laws that "probably wouldn't even cover me, and they probably wouldn't cover bloggers ever."
Entering into a conversation about who is or isn't a journalist (as the San Francisco Police Department and the District Attorney's Office have sought to do in imprisoned idependent reporter Josh Wolf's case), Olson says, "is degrading for the whole profession. And what it doesn't do is stand up for the civil liberties that are constitutionally afforded to everyone, nor does it protect a meaningful and independent press."... "My duty," Olson says, "is the public and its right to know and not to the government. www.sfbg.com
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1 comment:
Nice piece.
Freedom of the Press is being marginalized. so is freedom of speech. We can't forget what we have, because we will sure as hell know when it is gone.
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