The seizure of a New York Times reporter’s phone and email records has sent a chill down the spine of every reporter concerned about protecting his or her sources.
That means every serious reporter — especially those in Washington who report on politics and national security.
It is disturbing because reporters need to be able to do their jobs, unfettered. But absolutely no one should be surprised.
First off, the Trump adminstration has been all too clear about its scorn for established press rights — with the president himself boasting about how he’d love to change libel-law protections and speculating about locking up reporters.