Reader: Fox News reporter needs to learn First Amendment is a right, not a shield

Melanie Asmar has been reporting about the efforts to force Fox News' Jana Winter to reveal where she got information about a key notebook in the Aurora theater shooting case. Winter's fighting a subpoena, but she hasn't gotten a lot of support from our readers, including this one...

By Michael Roberts

July 8, 2013

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Melanie Asmar has been reporting about the efforts to force Fox News' Jana Winter to reveal where she got information about a key notebook in the Aurora theater shooting case.

Winter's fighting a subpoena, but she hasn't gotten a lot of support from our readers, including this one.

Patrick Solano writes:

Just curious where the line of journalistic responsibility lies. Why do journalists think they're immune from the law? 1st amendment is a right, not a shield. I smell another lawsuit. Feeling more threatened than ever before? "Significant Hardships." Really? Aren't these all par of the "risks" journalists take? Ridiculous. I hope she gets another subpoena from the DoD to disclose who was going to give her info on the "potential breaches of a major defense program."

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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