Suzanne Breen: defending journalists' right to protect sources

The Irish journalist Suzanne Breen is refusing to give her notes about the Real IRA to the Northern Ireland Police Service. She claims that as a journalist she should protect her sources and if she gives away her information, her life could be in danger. Besides that she gives the argument that she could never work as a journalist again because no one would trust her again. She will appear at Belfast high court today to fight this police request. Breen has been a professional journalist for years and worked for the Irish Times and the Sunday Tribune. She is a highly respected journalist, known for her professionalism. It is also quite extraordinary that she gets along with both sides of Ireland and reports about both sides without offending anyone. Many other reporters, friends and other famous people like actors support Suzanne Breen’s decision to not give away this information. They all signed the National Union of Journalists Petition to support Green’s choice. The discussion about Green’s decision has a larger effect then expected; even Amnesty International expressed its concerns about this case and asks specifically to protect press freedom and investigative journalism.


In my opinion Suzanne Breen does not need to give away information about the Real IRA which she received from her anonymous source. I think you can not really do your job as a journalist when you are not able to protect your sources and I believe that the police should respect that as well. I do understand that the Irish police would like to have all the information that can help them, but they should not try to get information from an innocent journalist who is just doing her job. They should try to find other sources to get the information they need. It is great that so many people support Green’s decision by signing a petition and writing articles about this topic to make the public aware of what is going on and how the press freedom and the job of journalists is in danger. I hope she will win the case and can continue to work as a respectable and professional journalist.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/11/suzanne-breen-profile