Freedom of the Press

[Commentary] Congress and President Obama face a test Thursday of their commitment to freedom of the press and to holding government accountable. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to consider a proposed federal shield law that would protect the public's right to learn vital information about the workings of its government. But some senators are trying to weaken the bill, and the White House has sent mixed signals. It is critical that the committee approves a strong version of the law to ensure that the news media are free to report news obtained from confidential sources. Without the ability of reporters and news organizations to protect confidential sources, many important reports about illegal, incompetent or embarrassing behavior that the government is determined to conceal would never see the light of day.