Publication of Classified Info

The publication of classified information is a debate that has been going on in this country since the creation of the freedom of the press. It is, however, in times of war that that the debate begins to rile its way back up to a larger degree. Journalists must face regularly face the question of whose right is greater, the people right to know or the governments right to protect. The press was given the freedom to print as it wanted for a large amount of reasons, stemming from the regulated press of the British King. One positive result of printing classified information is that is serves as a check on the government, keeping them from doing as they please. A free press also brings the public information that allows them to judge how well their elected leaders are fighting on their behalf. In a nation where elections are paramount to the basis of democracy, it is imperative that people know who they are voting for. A final pro to printing information is that it allows the general public to understand how the government is acting, rather then only knowing the why. There are alos negative consequences that can come of printing such sensitive information. The main consequence is that by printing classified information, especially in a time of war, you allow your enemy to know exactly what he is up against. The press can also give the enemy a heads-up as to what the government is doing, thus giving them time to change their methods. More detailed is the release of names of places by the press, which can put peoples lives in danger. One recent example of the press publishing classified information is the N.Y. Times article about a secret Bush administration program that was being used to monitor bank transactions. The government appealed to the paper not to print the story, but the story was still released. There are many examples that relate to the war in Iraq, including: the release of classified secret about the 'questionable' intelligence that led to the war in Iraq, information on the treatment of prisoners, and information about the transfer of terror suspects to countries that used torture as an interrogation method. One example, where the N.Y. Times decided to withhold printing an article on the warrentless eavesdropping of telephone calls by the government for a year, but then released it, could be a win for both sides. The question then remains as to what impact this has on foreign policy. The possibility of information being released to