Duty calls

There are only two workplace occupations specifically protected by the original American Constitution — the clergy and the press. We share a spot in the First Amendment.

It would certainly be nice to enjoy some of the clergy's special protections that we in the press don't have — not having to reveal the contents of a confession, for example, and not paying taxes in particular. But members of the press can shrug that off and get on with their jobs.

A duty, really. You can't get special privileges handed to you by the Founding Fathers and not be expected to do something to earn them.

Our first duty, the one the framers had in mind, is to be the watchdogs of government. Over the years, that has grown into watchdogs of big business, then watchdogs of just about everything — including movie stars.

Newspeople are also supposed to take the high road. One way to do that is to stay neutral and keep a poker face on at all times. Don't take sides, and report fairly.

Of course, life isn't that easy. A reporter might just want to turn in a guy he interviewed to the cops — especially if it sounds like he's a threat to people.

In the case of government secrets, some are supposed to stay that way. You don't put war plans in the daily news.

And you don't put the names of secret agents in your personal column, which Robert Novak did two years ago to a female CIA agent.

It also happens to be against the law to publicly identify a CIA agent, which might explain why a federal grand jury is playing hard ball trying to find the source of the information on the agent.

Reporters from Time magazine and the New York Times were held in contempt of court eight months ago after they refused to name confidential sources in the case.

The Time reporter, Matthew Cooper, named the CIA agent in an article he wrote after Novak's column appeared. The New York Times reporter, Judith Miller, never named the agent.

Time, which was also a defendant in the case, eventually backed down and agreed to hand over Cooper's notes, but Miller has held out. Her attorney said she will never reveal her sources, and locking her up will not change her mind.

As for Novak, so far he has refused to say whether he has testified before the grand jury or if he even has been subpoenaed.

The high road, the low road and the path not yet taken. How much is your time worth? Would you be willing to sit in a cell for a ideal? The Founding Fathers might not have seen this one coming, but no doubt they're counting on Miller.