Journo Responsibility in Plame Outing

(This item originally appeared on Romenesko at www.poynter.org)

Regarding the CIA's request this weekend for a full investigation of the outing of Valerie Plame (sometimes known as Joe Wilson's wife): What are a journalist's responsibility when they are called by high administration officials and asked to abet their crime (it is a major criminal offense -- some might dare call it treason -- to blow the cover of U.S. intelligence officials)? Should White House correspondents at the major TV networks and Robert Novak have blown the whistle?

The code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists is silent on the question of whether journalists should report crimes encountered in the course of their reporting duties. However, a quick perusal of press ethics statements abroad (where attempted bribery of journalists is a much more serious problem as can be witnessed the coming film biography of Irish journalist Victoria Guerin) comes up with some clear cut answers. From the German Press Institute's guidelines, for instance:

"A bond of confidentiality may only be broken where the information in question relates to the planning of a criminal act, in which case the journalist has a duty to report the matter to the authorities. Nor need confidentiality be observed if, after careful consideration of material and other interests, important reasons of state are deemed predominant. This situation can arise, in particular, if constitutional order is likely to be affected or endangered."

Maybe it's time for SPJ and other purveyors of journalist ethics statements to revisit their guidelines.

Merrill Goozner
former Chicago Tribune reporter and now freelance writer