Judith Miller: Defender of ethics?

Journalists have both hailed and criticized New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who was jailed for 85 days for refusing to reveal a confidential source to a federal grand jury. Miller was subpoened by the grand jury to reveal the source because the source allegedly leaked the name of an undercover CIA agent to a member of the media, according to Associated Press Reports. \nDue to recent jailings of journalists like Miller, the right to protect confidential sources has been a hot topic in journalism. This is why a member of the IU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists jumped at the opportunity to hear Miller speak at SPJ's national convention in Las Vegas, which began Sunday and wrapped up Tuesday at the Aladdin Resort and Casino.\n"I had questions about how both she and the New York Times handled the situation, but now I think she was a very intelligent person who got caught up in a huge event, and she's still going through it," said David Adams, the IU chapter's adviser, Indiana Daily Student publisher and the president of the Student Press Law Center for Journalists. "I think some of the things she did aren't necessarily right or wrong, she just had to go through them."\nMiller was also presented with the SPJ's First Amendment Award at the conference.\nAlthough Miller's career has been criticized by some journalists, she earned the award because of her defense of press rights, said IU SPJ chapter President and IDS Copy Chief Christina Galoozis, who also attended the convention.\n"While a lot of people don't agree with the way she has built her career - and I'm not saying I do - this was an award for standing up for the rights of journalists," Galoozis said. "I thoroughly support her receiving this award." \nThe right to protect confidential sources is essential to inform the public about goings on in the government, especially with an administration that encourages avoidance of the press, Adams said. \n"It's in the public's behalf to have this qualified privilege," he said. "It's not just to allow reporters to be above the law."\nJournalists from around the nation discussed topics, including challenges to free speech, pressures put on campus media and rights to access prisons, according to the conference schedule.\nGaloozis said the experience was valuable because she got to talk to professional journalists about real ethical issues they confront while reporting and making editing decisions.\nOne highlight of the national conferences was accepting the SPJ's College Newspaper of the Year Award for 2004 on behalf of the IDS, she added.