The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution grants the freedom of press, granting journalists to publish without government control.
There have been three instances in the last few months in which media organizations have reported federal authorities seizing journalists’ records in an attempt to identify sources for national security stories published during the Trump Administration, according to the Associated Press.
In order to report this fairly it must be known that the Obama Administration carried out similar actions when classified information was published, almost paving the way for Trump to do the same.
The Obama Administration won a case in the Fourth Circuit of Appeals against New York Times reporter James Risen. The ruling determined that reporters had no privilege that would protect the anonymity of their sources in a criminal trial. Reporters are then forced to choose between breaking a promise to a source or going to jail.
As journalists we have the right to protect our sources. If we decide to grant anonymity, we grant it and we protect those sources from any repercussions. For the government to properly function, someone has to hold them accountable and watch the moves they make.
Journalists fulfill that job as the watchdogs of society. We report on things that need to be made known to the public; it’s our right and our job.
Since the Trump Administration took office in 2017, journalists were persistently attacked and harassed for reporting news he claimed as false.
This seizing of information and harassment attacks the integrity of journalism as a whole leading to the narrative of false news and distrust of news itself.
No matter what, journalists will always have inside sources, and no matter what, we will never discontinue publishing information we feel the public should know. We are simply doing our jobs under our rights granted by the Constitution.
Yet, journalists still get investigated, still have our calls recorded and work taken from us. We are simply doing a job that informs the public.
Journalists have the right to report the truth without government control, so why are we being targeted?
This seizing of information does not attack one specific journalist or news organization, it attacks and violates the rights of every citizen.