Westin: News Orgs Must Stay Committed to Investigative Journalism

After receiving the Radio-Television Digital News Foundation's First Amendment Leadership award, ABC News President David Westin says that news organizations can't invoke the First Amendment unless they have "reporters out in the field doing the work that needs to be done and we have the resources to support them."

And while ABC has announced major cuts and a restructuring of its news operation, he said news organizations needed to be committed to investigative journalism, beat reporting and long-form documentaries. He got a second on that sentiment from NBC News President Steve Capus, also in attendance.

"As we gather here tonight," Westin said, "I can see no greater challenge to the First Amendment than the threats that are being faced by so many of our news organizations...threats to their ability to have the wherewithal to employ reporters and support them with the resources that they need." He said those risks may be the greatest since the First Amendment was adopted in 1791. "We've seen some of our best news organizations face cuts, and sometimes wave after wave of cuts."