Our major story this week was on "Protecting Sources" – and the fact that New York Times reporter Judith Miller and Time Magazine report Matt Cooper are being ordered to reveal their sources but are refusing, in a case that seems headed for the Supreme Court.

The issue is an important one to journalists who feel that if they can’t keep their promises to sources -- that they will remain confidential -- sources will decline to talk with them in the future. Reporters claim a privilege not unlike that of priests and doctors …- that information they receive and sources who reveal it are confidential, and that the press is so important to democracy that reporters need to have that privilege. And, as former New York Times reporter Earl Caldwell, whom we interviewed, said, “We represent the public. We’re not policemen. We’re not an arm of law enforcement.”

There is another side of this issue, passionately held by law enforcement officers. Legal authorities say that journalists are not immune from the law and cannot place themselves above the law. These people think that if journalists know facts and people that would help convict a criminal, they have the same obligation as any citizen – to provide that information to the police.

Once again, as with most tough issues, there isn’t an easy black and white, right or wrong. Instead, there is a conflict of two values. Which one do you side with?

Jim Russell
Executive Producer

PS: If you’d like to read more about reporters’ privilege, here are some sites worth checking out:

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000891682
http://www.rcfp.org/privilege/
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=80951
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/whitecollarcrime_blog/2005/04/reporters_privi.html

I just heard the story about the an American boy singing "Chinese Opera" on weekend America today. Being a Chinese, I found the story is way off the mark.

First, the 1920th record you broadcasted is "Yue Ju" which means Cantonese Opera. It is a local entertainment popular in Canton province and Hongkong. The most popular "opera" in China is Peiking Opera.
Second, the boy did not sing any Cantonese Opera on the radio. What he sang was popular songs and has nothing to do with Cantonese Opera. "The girl who picking up mushroom" is a popular song at 1980s in China.
Third, claiming that it is American who keeps the "Chinese Opera" alive for centries is very absurd. Both Cantonese Opera and Peiking opera together with other local "Operas" have been performed continuously in theatres. They are not as popular as before though because of the young generation has more interest in popular music nowadays.

I appreciate you made a story about "Chinese Opera" but please make the facts correct before broadcasting it.