Media Comments

   Some comments have come in about recent postings. On the Media Memo, the current administration is zealous in going after leaks, and news outlets are feeling the brunt of "a heavy hand of government." Sometimes, the cloak of anonymity is the only way to get information critical to a story. Journalists on occasion need this method, and should not give in to government pressure, "even if it means going to jail."
   The New York Times reported July 12 that under the Obama Administration, "prosecutors have filed charges in seven leak-related cases to date, compared with three under all previous presidents combined."
   Attorney General Eric Holder says investigators will back off, following stricter guidelines issued Thursday. We'll see.
   While all this kerfuffle is going on about leaks and confidential sources, keep in mind that politicians have long used "leaks" to reporters to float an idea and determine what reaction it would have if actually introduced. That way, if the trial balloon bursts, the politician can deny ever having said it. On the other hand, if the idea gets a favorable public reaction, the official can proceed and claim credit for introducing it. Both sides win, sort of. The journalist gets a scoop, and the politician escapes injury if the idea falls flat.
   
   Also, on the reaction to the data scooping, "It's not just France that has a problem," another correspondent writes. Across Europe there are data protection laws which prevent the holders of information about individuals from sharing that information with anyone. France may simply be the first to start the legal process."

   So is Edward Snowden a spy or traitor for releasing details of the snooping program to journalists, or a man of principle who sacrificed a great deal? Consider this: A spy would have sold the information to a foreign government, taken the money and gone to ground to live out his life in anonymous luxury. Snowden did not. He went public, and is now a man without a country, job or family, and facing criminal charges. Many have already decided what he is. More detail, however, continues to become available, so it may be a good idea to withhold judgement.