John Peter Zenger began publication of the New York Weekly Journal in 1733, an opposition paper to the policies of Gov. William Cosby. Zenger’s newspaper repeatedly attacked the administration. In 1734 Zenger was arrested on libel charges and imprisoned. In the celebrated trial that followed Zenger was defended by Andrew Hamilton, who established truth as a defense in cases of libel. The trial, which resulted in the publisher’s acquittal, helped to establish freedom of the press in America.
It should be clear then that despite what it says on our masthead our editor-in-chief is not John Peter Zenger; for that matter our Global page editor is not Stuart Mill, our National page editor is not Magda Carter, our Political page editor is not Frank Benjamin, and so on. There may even be more than one person behind some or all of the names.
We are left with no choice but to conceal our identities so that in return our reporters’ identities can be protected. That protection is vital because as the First Amendment Center website shows, reporters cannot count on Shield Laws to protect them and their confidential sources, even where such laws exist. This has caused such a wide-spread chilling effect that sources are refusing to talk and reporters are reduced to repeating the party line as if it were news.
We intend to fight for a truly free press by providing reporters the same cover of secrecy that Bush Administration officials are using to protect themselves. Only then can our reporters, whose words have appeared and will continue to appear in Newsweek, The New York Times and The Washington Post promise their sources true confidentiality, regain access and get the behind-the-wall-of-silence truth about our country and our world. That’s their job after all, and we intend to let them do it.