Let there be no doubt....this is to take down sites like this.

Twana

__________________________________

Watch video of Feinstine here

An amendment is moving through the Senate Judiciary Committee that would essentially allow the government to determine who is a journalist for purposes of legal protection of sources. For purposes of protecting a source, a “journalist” under law would be anyone who:

  • Works or worked for “an entity or service that disseminates news or information by means of newspaper; nonfiction book; wire service; news agency; news website, mobile application or other news or information service…news program; magazine or other periodical…or through television or radio broadcast…” These people would have to have the “primary intent to investigate events and procure material in order to disseminate to the public news or information.” Opinion journalists might not be covered.
  • Bloggers and citizen journalists – citizens who commit acts of journalists without working for such an outlet – would not be covered, unless it was determined that “at the inception of the process of gathering the news or information sought, had the primary intent to investigate issues or events and procure material in order to disseminate to the public news or information.” In other words, the government – the Department of Justice – would now determine whether primary intent was news distribution or political concerns.
  • Those explicitly excluded from protection include those “whose principal function, as demonstrated by the totality of such person or entity’s work, is to publish primary source documents that have been disclosed to such person or entity without authorization.” Glenn Greenwald, please contact your lawyer.

Who would decide who fell within these guidelines? A “judge of the United States” can “exercise discretion to avail the persons of the protections of this Act.” But in the first instance, the DOJ would have the discretion to determine whether a person is a “journalist” for purposes of the law. Instead of focusing on acts of journalism, the law would identify people by employment status.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said that it should not matter to citizen journalists if new protections extended to a special class of journalists created by the government, since the First Amendment does not grant any right to protect sources in the first place. “When we’re discussing the issue of adding a privilege, the issue of taking away someone’s First Amendment rights just isn’t engaged….All we’re doing is adding privilege to existing First Amendment rights, so there is, logically, zero First Amendment threat out of this,” said Whitehouse, ignoring the fact that a massive institutional advantage would be handed to approved government outlets, thereby perverting the entire system of a free press.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) launched into the proposed bill, which he said could “have the effect of excluding certain persons from enjoying the added First Amendment protections the bill would provide.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) agreed, stating, “Essentially as I understand this amendment, it protects what I would characterize as the ‘corporate media.’…But it leaves out citizen bloggers….I don’t think any protection should treat citizen bloggers who are meeting the underlying test of being primarily engaged in gathering news to report it I don’t think they should be excluded because they don’t happen to work for a media corporation.” He continued:

It strikes me that we are on dangerous territory if we are drawing distinctions that are treating some engaged in the process of reporting and journalism better than others. If we are advantaging those who happen to receive a paycheck from a corporate media entity over those who happen to be citizens….I for one would have deep troubles with legislation from Congress saying ‘we will grant special privileges if you happen to work for a corporate media interest’….It seems to me the First Amendment protects the activity, not the employment status of the person engaging in it.

Ben Shapiro is Editor-At-Large of Breitbart News and author of the New York Times bestseller “Bullies: How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences America” (Threshold Editions, January 8, 2013).

You need to be a member of The Patriots For America to add comments!

Join The Patriots For America

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • We do not need any more laws.

    • Agree we have way too many as it is

  • Hitler, Stalin, Mao....

    OMG, we are living under Communism.   What first Amendment?

    This means no one can speak unless they control them.

  • Seems to me the US Constitution gives We the People a legal means to resist Tyranny without necessary taking up arms.

    When the Senate--or any other branch of our Government acts in violation of the contract we the people have the power  to resist. and Resistance to Tyranny is obedience to God. a people who do not know God --need a Tyrant to tell them how they must live. A free american has the Holy Bible and knows that human law is invalid when it contradicts the Laws dictated by God ,Himself.The First Amendment recognizes that every American has the right to freedom of the Press, and Freedom of Speech, and those other named fundamental rights.and fundamental rights are ceded to political convenience there is Tyranny....a people enslaved . 

  • I think that people should be educated on the term United States and the definition of what it is. When you learn what it is then you will know if it applys to u. It only applies to the United States and its territories. The states are not its territories. The federal government is very limited in its jurisdiction
  • We are headed down the road of the Roman Empire...and OUR Disrepresentatives are leading the way !


    Roman Senator. Publius Cornelius Tacitus said

    "The more corrupt the state the more numerous the laws....."
    • Marty, there is method to their madness...create disorganized mass confusion and call it civilization...~  Semper Fi!

  • Is there anyone that explain to this old Gunnery Sergeant' military mind why it takes our idiot liberal retards at the DOJ to define a "journalist"?  What is wrong with any of our dictionaries?  If we can get numb-nuts in the White House to read English, maybe he should try this:  http://www.freedictionary.org/?Query=journalist  ~ Semper Fi!

     

    journalist - definition of journalist - synonyms, pronunciation, spelling from Free Dictionary
    Definition of journalist. What does journalist mean? Meaning of journalist. journalist synonyms, pronunciation, spelling and more from Free Dictionar…
  • Gunny that involves reading they do not only not know how to read but to actually process the information is much to much to ask of of these IDIOTw

    Victoria per Scientam
  • I am getting intolerant in my old age but
    Gunny Aristotle said that TOLERANCE is the last virtue of a dying society. So we are at a turning point in the history of civilization
This reply was deleted.