New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Eric Lichtblau spoke at the Pyle Center Tuesday on his 2005 coverage of illegal domestic spying and government wiretaps.
Lichtblau focused on the importance of a finding balance between national security and the public's right-to-know in the heightened state of alert post-Sept. 11, 2001.
There was an awful lot of hype the media bought into, myself included,"" Lichtblau said. ""[Reporters are] trained to look at the glass half-empty. After September 11, that skepticism abandoned us.""
He said a lot of reporters working in New York and Washington were ""too close to the action"" and found it difficult to question the administration. However, he said 2004 was a turning point for many journalists as federal government court cases against alleged terrorists began to unravel and the motives behind the Iraq War were called into question.
In 2005, Lichtblau and Times reporter James Risen revealed the National Security Agency was using wiretaps and other forms of surveillance on U.S. residents without their knowledge or court permission.
""The White House begged the editors not to run the story based on the idea it would do irreparable harm to national security,"" Lichtblau said.
The story was shelved to meet the administration's reques. A year later, when more of the story was developed, the Times editors chose to run the story.
""For the editors, again there was a tough balance between national security on the one hand and the public's right-to-know on the other. This time it came down on the side of the public.""
UW-Madison professor of journalism and mass communication Katy Culver said Lichtblau's forum came at an appropriate time with the upcoming election and the potential for renewed debate about civil liberties.
""I think it is important to reinforce the idea of the legitimacy of real and powerful journalism,"" she said, adding society today is seeking more information from the media than ever before.
