Can The President Prosecute The Press?

Apple Podcast
Spotify

The President says he wants to go after those who leaked information about a rescue operation in Iran – Can he? Jenna takes you to a portion of a White House press conference that drew attention after the president blamed press reporting and a leaker for revealing a second missing airman during a rescue operation in Iran, saying the media company should give up the source “or go to jail.”

She clarifies that while there is legal precedent for the government to pursue the leaker, she knows of no precedent for prosecuting a media organization for publishing accurate (or even inaccurate) information, and notes protections for journalists vary: most states have shield laws, but there is no federal shield law.

Jenna cites the Iraq War-era case in which New York Times journalist Judith Miller was jailed 85 days for contempt after refusing to reveal sources, but leads us to a larger ethical questions about reporting sensitive details during national security events. Plus – Jenna shares her grandfather’s reporter’s handbook – from his time embedded with U.S. forces during WWII.

What do you think about his responsibilities as a member of the press?

00:00 Press Freedom Question
00:26 Trump Leak Threat Clip
01:19 Rescue Mission Context
03:36 Who Is He Targeting
05:23 Journalist Protections Explained
07:54 No Federal Shield Law
08:34 Judith Miller Case Study
|11:27 State vs Federal Subpoenas
14:15 Ethics vs Legality
17:01 WWII Censorship Rules
20:23 What Free Press Means Now
21:15 Wrap Up and Support

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