Columbia j-school staff: WikiLeaks is covered under First Amendment
Columbia Un. Graduate School of Journalism faculty and officers to President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder: Wikileaks is engaging in journalistic activity protected by the First Amendment. Government overreaction to publication of leaked material is more damaging than the leaks themselves.
"But while we hold varying opinions of Wikileaks’ methods and decisions, we all believe that in publishing diplomatic cables Wikileaks is engaging in journalistic activity protected by the First Amendment. Any prosecution of Wikileaks’ staff for receiving, possessing or publishing classified materials will set a dangerous precedent for reporters in any publication or medium, potentially chilling investigative journalism and other First Amendment-protected activity.
As a historical matter, government overreaction to publication of leaked material in the press has always been more damaging to American democracy than the leaks themselves."