For freedom of the press to be more than a promise and for the public to be kept informed about the doings of its government, especially the doings that the government does not want known, reporters must be able to pursue the news wherever it takes them. One of the most valuable tools they have is the ability to protect the names of confidential sources — people who provide vital information at the risk of their jobs, their careers and sometimes even their lives.

That is why it is so important for Congress to finally pass a federal shield law for journalists and why we commend Senators Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Charles Schumer, Democrat of New York, for a compromise bill designed to achieve passage. Under the new bill, in order to compel disclosure of a source, the government would have to show that withholding the information is necessary to prevent a specific act of terrorism against the United States or would create “significant harm to national security” that outweighs the public interest in maintaining the flow of information.

A virtue of the Specter-Schumer bill is that it removes any excuse by lawmakers to avoid taking a step vital for the press’s ability to report, so the public can exercise its right to know what government is doing and make informed judgments. —The New York Times