Free Republic

<p>The Daily Caller: A reporter has been detained by Capitol Hill police for trying to ask a question of Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy.</p> <p>Bloomberg BNA energy reporter Ari Natter tweeted about being detained.</p> <p>Natter was detained while covering the American Council On Renewable Energy conference, where McCarthy spoke. Also speaking at the conference was Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a staunch supporter of green energy who regularly takes the Senate floor to sound the alarm on global warming.</p>

A Colorado judge's threatened contempt sanctions against Fox News investigative reporter Jana Winter—who refuses to reveal a confidential news source—has refocused public attention on how journalists operate. News must often be gathered from confidential sources, or not at all. Given how vital is the freedom of the press in a democracy, that confidentiality must be maintained. It is time that Congress recognize this and enact legislation that enables journalists to protect their confidential sources and newsgathering materials. Ms. Winter covered the July 20, 2012 mass shooting that killed 12 people and injured 58 others in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater....

In a move that diminishes the legal distinctions between bloggers and journalists, on Aug. 1 a congressional panel voted to protect journalists from having to reveal their confidential sources -- and specifically included professional bloggers in the measure. While casual and hobby bloggers will not benefit from the newly revised Free Flow of Information Act, those that earn either all or part of their income from blogs will be able to enjoy the same protections as their journalist counterparts. Bloggers, many of whom consider themselves journalists whether or not they're officially recognized as such, feel that they should be entitled...

AUSTIN — A bill designed to protect journalists' confidential sources gained tentative passage in the Texas Senate on Friday, but its chances of final passage remain iffy. Dubbed the "Free Flow of Information Act," the bill by Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, passed 21-6 for now, although it still faces fierce opposition from Texas prosecutors who fear criminal investigations could be hampered. Ellis said he will attempt to bring the bill up for a final vote Monday, provided he can round up the two-thirds vote needed for a floor debate. Print and broadcast news organizations are pushing for the bill because...

Inside the Beltway "Very odd," says our source. "They sat at a table in the back." Referring to the intriguing trio of Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, and his wife, Valerie Plame, of CIA-leak fame,

HARTFORD — Although politicians and journalists are rarely seen on the same side of anything, it took the state legislature on the last day of this year's session to give reporters the legal right to protect their sources. The House gave final passage to a shield law bill, voting 136-11 to support the bill. The Senate had passed the law unanimously earlier Wednesday. "This protects free speech and recognizes that the press does a service for the public and should be afforded, albeit limited, extra protection," said Rep. John Frey, R-Ridgefield. Gov. M. Jodi Rell has indicated she will sign...

The Bush administration has displayed a remarkable mastery at directing attention on issues through its own lens. Recently, for example, the White House tried to shift the national focus from the subject of alleged illegal wiretapping to a criminal investigation into who leaked the president's secret. Which raises the question: Should constitutionally protected news gathering be given a renewed boost through shield laws? The answer is — emphatically — yes. Reporter shield laws, designed to protect the confidentiality of press sources, are necessary not only to protect individual reporters, but more importantly, to protect the news gathering process and to...

Liberal media bias is a fact of life. But when the issue involves the business of journalism, the bias gets so bad as to be deliberately dishonest. Consider the slanted coverage of the recent Senate Judiciary hearing into a proposed federal media shield law. The bill would shield the media from identifying their sources in criminal and certain national security cases. On July 20, Washington Post media reporter Howard Kurtz wrote a story about a hearing that waited until the ninth paragraph to disclose that the Washington Post was one of the "news giants" supporting the bill. Kurtz noted that...

In an editorial today, the “hightly respected” New York Times is asking whether or not Judge John G. Roberts is a member of the-hold on to your seats now-Federalist Society-ooh, aah, are you frightened yet? The implication by the Left is that the Federalist Society is some sort of shadowy, cabalistic, perhaps even malevolent, group of hooded, incantation speaking, lawyer-sorcerers who, having sold their souls to the Devil, are intent on corrupting and taking over the Government of the United States. Now once I move beyond my usual sarcastic attitude about trial lawyers and my tendency to say “Of course...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate on Tuesday put off until fall completing a $491 billion defense bill to act this week on the National Rifle Association's top priority: shielding gun manufacturers and dealers from liability suits stemming from gun crimes. On a 66-32 test vote, the Senate indicated there's plenty of support for Republican leaders' determination to pass the gun bill before lawmakers leave at the end of this week for a monthlong vacation. "The only reason it is coming to the floor, in a time of war to interrupt the debate on the Defense Authorization bill is that members...

The Bush administration is formally op posing the bipartisan effort on Capitol Hill to enact a federal shield law for journalists, calling it "bad public policy" that would create "serious impediments" to law enforcement. We understand the administration's sensitivity, given the Valerie Plame affair. But that position is just plain wrong. Like other news media organizations, we urged the Supreme Court to hear the appeals of subpoenaed journalists Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper in hopes the justices finally would clarify whether a federal right of confidentiality exists. The court declined — which meant that its last word on the subject,...

An academic question becomes a pressing legal issue. Matt Welch Apple is one of the few companies large and intriguing enough to have attracted its own large subcategory of professional journalism. MacWorld competes with MacAddict and at least a half-dozen other glossies; Amazon.com lists 712 books under the category “Apple Mac,” and true obsessives can cap off a day of Steve Jobs–related media consumption by listening to online radio shows like The Mac Night Owl. As you might expect from an iconic, publicly traded consumer technology company with 11,000 employees and a cult following, there are quite a few Web...

<p>March 25, 2004 -- EAGLE, Colo. - Kobe Bryant's young accuser - her hair dyed red and her figure clearly heavier than when the scandal broke - confidently took the witness stand yesterday, going face-to-face with the NBA superstar for the first time since accusing him of rape last summer. The 19-year-old underwent nearly four grueling hours of questioning from Bryant's defense team about her past sexual relationships - but never broke.</p>