Friday, November 11, 2005

Judith Miller calls it quits (and posts a disappointingly-straightforward response to Maureen Dowd on her website).

Posted by Mike at 12:48 AM

2 comments:

MnMnM said...

First Aid for First Amendment

I would like to see this type of Press Release ASAP as a temporary solution pending the passage of an effective journalistic shield law:

Judith Miller’s Lament:

“On July 6, I chose to go to jail to defend my right as a journalist to protect a confidential source, the same right that enables lawyers to grant confidentiality to their clients, clergy to their parishioners, and physicians and psychotherapists to their patients.”

Inspired by the eloquent words and cogent ideas expressed by Judith Miller in her resignation letter, the New York Times announced today that they have entered into secret negotiations with a yet to be named national counseling service. Through a well-established network of neighborhood treatment centers and other outpatient facilities, the service has established an effective national presence in the behavioral health care marketplace. Volunteers at each facility will receive 8-week courses in journalism. Once trained, this dual duty cadre will be available to see whistle blowers and other unnamed sources who wish to leak important facts to the press. The conversations will be protected by the psychotherapist/patient relationship and will avoid any First Amendment conflicts. Besides saving the paper millions in insurance and legal expenses, this project will provide free counseling to those leaking as they deal with the anxiety of testifying before future grand juries. Individuals close to the talks say NYT will conduct a campaign asking their readers to suggest names for this new entity. Got any ideas?

In an unrelated story, the parent company of the unnamed national counseling service plans to establish a series of self-help urgent care centers in major U.S. cities. Each site will stock an abundant inventory of self-help publications and medical supplies and will be called “Suture Self

9:50 AM
Mike said...

I say let's do it. It wouldn't last past its first legal challenge, but it would make a nice statement (and providing counseling to the soon-to-be-indicted would be a valuable public service).

11:40 AM

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