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Burn after reporting: Leak investigations and the press

Freedom of the Press
3 months 1 week ago

We exposed as a lie the Trump administration’s basis for repealing restrictions on surveilling journalists to investigate leaks. The “fake news” that the administration claimed to be combating — reports that the intelligence community disputed its claim that the Venezuelan government directed the activities of the Tren de Aragua gang in the United States – was, in fact, 100 percent accurate.

But just in case that bombshell and the widespread news coverage that followed doesn’t shame the administration into changing course, Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) hosted a discussion about past efforts by the government to out reporters’ sources and what journalists should expect when federal prosecutors come after their newsgathering.

Our panelists would know better than most. Former New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize-winner James Risen fought a seven-year battle against attempts by both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations to force him to testify and reveal his sources in a leak investigation. He detailed the Obama administration’s endless litigation against him, while at the same time it engaged in secret digital surveillance of his communications.

Ryan Lizza, the founder and editor of Telos.news and a former reporter at Politico, CNN, and The New Yorker, also joined to discuss his reporting on the Obama administration’s overreach in secretly spying on Fox News reporter James Rosen, as well as efforts by former U.S. representative and current Trump sycophant Devin Nunes to obtain Lizza’s communications from tech companies in separate litigation.

And Lauren Harper, Daniel Ellsberg chair on government secrecy at FPF, discussed the aforementioned revelations about the Trump administration’s false pretexts for cracking down on leaks, which she obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

Risen started by laying out the stakes that emerged after 9/11. “Basically everything about the American conduct in the war on terror was classified,” he explained. “Everything that we now take for granted about our body of knowledge about how the United States conducts warfare in the 21st century came through leaks or unauthorized disclosures of one form or another.”

Lizza agreed, adding that critics of the Iraq War in the current administration would not have been able to mount their criticisms without leaks. Politicians, he explained, use leaked information to form the basis for their political platforms and then turn against leakers when they’re the ones in power.

Harper disputed the administration’s apparent belief that the solution to leaks is more secrecy, not less. “Upwards of 90% of information that is classified ought not to be. So I think in some ways, we can look at leaks as a response to a broken classification system,” she said.

Risen observed that the Obama administration finally backed down from forcing him to testify not due to the law but due to bad press. Lizza had similar impressions from his coverage of the Rosen case, explaining that his reporting “got the ear of some people in the Obama administration who did not like being accused of attacking the First Amendment and going after reporters.”

As Risen explained, when the government comes after journalists it’s often not about finding out who they’re talking to, it’s about “having a chilling effect on journalism in general and making sure everybody is afraid of the government.” Added Risen, “They’ll go after journalists not because they need them, but because they want to punish them and set an example.”

It remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will respond to public shaming like Obama did, but we won’t know unless we try. First, the press needs to avoid surveillance, by implementing digital security best practices when storing data and communicating electronically with sources, but also, as Risen said, going “off the grid” and communicating face-to-face whenever possible.

When that fails and the government comes after journalists’ sources anyway, it’s imperative that the press stand up for itself and its sources, by raising alarms about the risks to investigative reporting and press freedom when the government is able to snoop into reporters’ notebooks and emails. Caving to the pressure only encourages more retaliation.

Seth Stern

Lewis and Clark Community College's Summerfest Connects Campus and Community

Riverbender 🕸
3 months 1 week ago
GODFREY - Lewis and Clark Community College welcomed the community to their annual Summerfest. On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, students, alumni and families gathered at the River Bend Arena on the LCCC Godfrey campus for a resource fair complete with bounce houses, face-painting, sno cones and more. Attendees could learn more about the college and local organizations. “The goal of Summerfest is to reach out past our wall on Lewis and Clark’s campus and really bring the community out onto our campus,” said Daniel Nosce, one of the organizers. “It is one of the most important things to us as a campus community. We know that we have been here for a long time and we’ve had many people come through our doors, and we just want to invite them back. Hopefully, we’ll get generations of these potential students and past students.” Representatives from LCCC departments were present to share about their work and opportunities at the college. Potential

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Thursday, June 5 - A look into legendary house shows in Columbia

The Gateway
3 months 1 week ago
You might remember the alt-rock band The All-American Rejects and lead singer Tyson Ritter from their handful of turn of the century hits such as “Dirty Little Secret.” As University of Missouri seniors graduated this spring, the band played the latest in a series of pop-up shows it’s been doing at people’s houses. We hear what the band, concertgoers and even the police think about this diversion from the current era of arena concerts.

The Benefits of Outdoor Swimming for Physical Health

Riverbender 🕸
3 months 1 week ago
Did you know that immersing your body in natural water can boost your cardiovascular health more effectively than some traditional gym workouts? Outdoor swimming, an activity that has surged in popularity worldwide, offers a unique combination of physical and mental benefits that indoor pools or other forms of exercise often can’t match. Far beyond a simple pastime, outdoor swimming taps into the power of nature to enhance physical well-being in remarkable ways. Enhanced Cardiovascular Fitness Swimming is widely recognized for its cardiovascular benefits, but outdoor swimming takes this a step further. When you swim in open water—whether a lake, river, or ocean—the varying temperatures and currents create a dynamic environment that challenges your heart and lungs more intensely than a controlled indoor pool. Cold water immersion, common in outdoor swimming, causes your body to work harder to maintain its core temperature, increasing heart rate and circulation. Researc

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This Day in History on June 5: Six-Day War Breaks Out

Riverbender 🕸
3 months 1 week ago
June 5 has been a date marked by a series of significant events that have shaped history across the world, touching on politics, science, culture, and more. One of the most globally impactful events associated with June 5 is the 1967 outbreak of the Six-Day War. On this day, tensions in the Middle East erupted as Israel launched preemptive strikes against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. The conflict fundamentally reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the region, with Israel capturing significant territories including the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula. This war not only altered borders but also had far-reaching consequences for international diplomacy, regional relations, and ongoing peace efforts. The legacy of the Six-Day War continues to influence Middle Eastern politics to this day. Moving to the cultural sphere, June 5, 1947, saw the release of the influential film "Miracle on 34th Street" in the United States. This classic holiday movie has become a beloved

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Federal appeals court upholds order blocking Education Department closure

MoInd 📰
3 months 1 week ago
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court late Wednesday upheld a lower court’s order requiring the U.S. Education Department to reinstate more than 1,300 fired employees and blocking an executive order to dismantle the department and a directive to transfer some services to other federal agencies. The ruling from a three-judge panel in the United States Court […]
Shauneen Miranda