Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today announced that he will cosponsor the Free Flow of Information Act, also known as the reporter shield bill, when it is introduced in the Senate by New York Senator Chuck Schumer. On Wednesday, the Administration requested Congress to pass a bill that would help journalists protect the identity of their news sources during federal investigations of leaked information.
“In light of the news that the Department of Justice subpoenaed telephone records of Associated Press reporters as part of a federal investigation, it is clear we need a reporter shield law that would establish the proper protocol for handling these types of investigations. Our Constitution is clear in establishing protections to allow members of the press to report on current events without fear of intimidation by the government, and we must ensure that those protections are upheld. We can craft a bill that balances our national security interests with the public’s right to know.”