Miller Up the River

Persecution of journalists is anti-Democratic.

The persecution of Miller is aimed at silencing any critical media coverage of the government—whether it relates to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the practice of torture, kidnapping and illegal detention, the massive expansion of domestic spying, or official cover-ups of corporate criminality. - Patrick Martin, World Socialist Web Site

Cross post from Mediaocrity by Editrix:

New York Times reporter Judith Miller was sentenced to jail today for refusing to name sources to a grand jury investigating the revelation of a
covert CIA operative's name (Valerie Plame). Matthew Cooper, who was similarly prosecuted, has now agreed to testify, saying that his source has waived his/her confidentiality.

Miller will be jailed until she agrees to testify or the grand jury's term expires in about four months.

"If journalists cannot be trusted to keep confidences," said Miller, "then journalists cannot function and there cannot be a free press.

[Full post here...]