President Obama's Destructive War on the Media

[Commentary] Few presidential candidates enjoyed better press than Barack Obama in 2008. He reciprocated by promising unprecedented "openness in government" and a new era of transparency. He has fallen far short of the promise.

This administration has prosecuted more whistle-blowers for leaks and gone after more journalists than any of its predecessors.

The issue was crystallized anew recently when the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from New York Times reporter James Risen, who has been ordered to testify in the trial of Jeffrey Sterling, a former Central Intelligence Agency official.

Sterling is charged with giving Risen classified information about an attempt to sabotage Iran's nuclear program. The Justice Department has relentlessly pursued Risen, and he could face jail time for failing to comply with the subpoena. Similar claims about protecting national security are being made about Sterling, who proclaims his innocence. A federal judge dismissed the proceedings against Risen, but the Obama administration successfully appealed the decision. On the federal level, much depends on an administration's attitude.

As it stands, in the US, the news media has considerable protections when it comes to censorship or libel, but they don't apply to news gathering. Attorney General Eric Holder has vowed in private meetings and some public pronouncements to change this approach. With the decision by the Supreme Court, the Risen case offers the opportunity to do so.