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Originally Posted by Seaver
Last time I checked a lot of classified information was released illegally. Releasing said information would cause the anonymous sources to go to prison. Hiding these informants is contempt of court, and thus a few journalists went to prison. In my opinion, they were fishing for Pulitzer's and deserved to do their time.
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You are correct, only to a limited extent in regard to classified information in some limited instances (the govt has to show that the release of such info would cause material harm to national security and not just an embarrassment to the govt)....in most instances, the Supreme Court case in the 70s, with the NY Times and the pentagon papers, would prevail and the journalists (and the source) would not have broken any laws.
The fact is that most cases of protecting sources dont involve national security, but rather government agency or corporate wrongdoing. In those vast majority of cases, where the person releasing the information is "not authorized to friggin talk", there is no crime on the part of the journalist or the source..as it should be.