Media Shield Debate is Vital

"As Congress once again shirks its duty to act on important issues, like passing the first-ever media shield law, the ACLU will continue to push for passage of a meaningful bill," said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "There is still plenty of time in the fall to do so. In recent years, we’ve seen a troubling increase in the number of journalists who have been threatened with or served time in jail simply for doing their jobs. With historic stories revealing warrantless wiretapping and the CIA’s use of torture, it’s hard to imagine that our government would ever be held accountable for its actions if it weren’t for a free press and its confidential sources.

"Unfortunately, as we move closer to getting the shield bill passed within a veto-proof margin, the bill has become weaker. We will continue to work with senators to ensure that that this much-needed protection for journalists is not destroyed by partisan and election-year politicking