Pressing Issues

Doug Clifton, the editor of The Cleveland Plain-Dealer, tells readers and E&P that Miller's jailing has led to their scuttling two major investigative articles to avoid the legal consequences of a leak investigation that might lead to the jailing of their reporters. "The reporters say, 'Well, we're willing to go to jail, and I'm willing to go to jail if it gets laid on me,'" Clifton added, "but the newspaper isn't willing to go to jail. That's what the lawyers have told us." Later in the E&P interview, Clifton adds: "Some people might argue that you're being chicken-shit," Clifton said. "Well, I, I can respect that," he said, his voice trailing off."

Yes, Mr. Clifton, I do think you're all being chickenshit. A. Who exactly is this "newspaper" which doesn't want to go to jail? Can a newspaper be imprisoned? I suppose it could be shut down entirely; they do that in other countries, don't they -- seize the presses and lock the doors. And if that were done, well, that'd be a pretty impressive story itself, right? Wouldn't your paper go down in history for that?

Given that you and your reporters are all willing to go to jail, and that the newspaper cannot be jailed, who exactly is it that is unwilling to go forward with this story? And may I suggest you instead leak the stories to another newspaper that might be willing to publish, after requesting anonymity, of course?