SKeletons Unearthed

I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming release–sometime this week–of CIA documents unearthing a bunch of skeletons in their closet.

Among the attempted assassinations and the various general rights-deprivations in the name of national security are apparently some phone-tappings of journalists.

It will be interesting to see who shows up, particularly around that early 1970’s time frame when the Nixon administration had its presidential knickers in a twist over reporting by CBS and The Washington Post in particular.

The power of the federal government to intimidate a free press from the shadows is another reminder of whay a federal shield law is needed to protect journalists from more open intimidation.

By John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.