We Want Media

One day after New York Times editor Bill Keller declared that the Pulitzer Prize judges had awarded “journalism that demonstrated the press standing up to power,” conservative pundits fired back that the stories were not courageous, but treasonous.

Dana Priest of the Washington Post won a Pulitzer for exposing the CIA’s use of secret prisons in Eastern Europe for interrogating terror suspects. Also winning Pulitzers were James Risen and Eric Lichtblau of the New York Times, for exposing the President’s domestic wiretapping program.

Before publication, President Bush personally asked editors not to run the stories. After publication, each stirred a fury of public opinion and political controversy, to the point that Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) called for a censure of Bush over the wiretapping program.

Today, commentators like William Bennett, a former administration official for Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, reiterated their initial talking point: that exposing quasi-legal programs is akin to treason. On his national radio show, Bennett said the stories were “worthy of jail” while calling on politicians to open an investigation.

Come off it, Mr. Bennett. By the accounts of the journalists, sources came out because of their own misgivings about the legality of what was going on. These are people who said “this is not right.” And you’re going to push the message that they’re the ones in the wrong? There is something wrong with saying someone committed treason while ignoring the activities that would spur them to such action.

Amidst all the confusion and secrecy, that much should be clear.