Judith Miller

It seems almost surreal to follow a blog on Stephen Hawking with this one on Judith Miller. She is the New York Times journalist currently sitting in jail to the profound chagrin of the entire media establishment. She was asked by a grand jury to testify and she refused. So the judge said she would go to jail if she didn't comply and she chose not to based on a reluctance to reveal a "confidential source". The decision of the judge was upheld all the way up to the Supreme Court. The media think this is just awful since she didn't even write anything. Furthermore, it would be just dreadful if journalists couldn't keep those sources which they didn't just make up confidential. My question is why the journalists feel testimony before a grand jury would be revealing since those procedings are supposed to be secret. They may not be, but the journalists already must usually reveal the source to the editor(s), so the confidentiality is not absolute. I am a huge fan of the First Amendment, but my lack of respect for most journalists puts me on the side of those who don't particularly mind having old Judith in jail for failing to comply with the same laws the rest of us have to obey.