Another leak investigation by the Obama Administration has surfaced leading to questions about whether these are justified, and whether the administration is creating a "chiling effect" on the media by zealously investigating them.
The latest involves a Fox News reporter who was alleged to have received classified information in 2009 from a source in the State Departments that was obtained from a source inside North Korea. It stated that " North Korea was likely to respond to United Nations sanctions with more nuclear tests."
The Washington Post details the facts of the case here.
NPR goes further and discusses the constitutional implications of the fact that the leak investogation goe beyond the person who leaked the information, but the reporter as well. This is unusual. This has the potential to criminalize what reporters do: talk to sources and report on what government does. The search warrant issued to authorize the search of the reporter called him a co-conspirator.
Naturally journalists are getting nervous, but the Obama Administration is arguing - as presidents do - that free press rights must be balanced against natonal security needs - in this case to secure and maintain a source inside a hostile nation. Click here for a discussion of that balance.
A couple reporters argue that the reporter in question was a bit of a bonehead - his tradecraft was sloppy and easy to investigate. And the story he reported was not especially interesting.
