How "Free" Is the Freedom of the Press?
On March 6, 2007, Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted of four felony charges related to the leaking of the identity of CIA official Valerie Plame to the press. But when the investigation and trial exposed more than one CIA operative's name, the case became even more complex.
The Libby trial revealed a seemingly complicit relationship between the Washington press corps and the administration based on mutual access and manipulation. It put current journalistic practices under scrutiny and raised serious questions about the legal protections available to news organizations, the confidentiality of anonymous sources, and the press's responsibility to inform citizens in a free society.
On April 5, 2007, University of Minnesota professor, director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, and internationally known expert on media law, Jane Kirtley, sorted through the complicated issues surrounding the Valerie Plame Affair and assessed the long-term implications for our access to information.
Listen to her Headliners presentation by downloading the audio. (mp3 file)