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The Current

NYT's James Risen willing to be jailed for not revealing his sources on NSA's wiretapping story

New York Times journalist James Risen documents outrageous accounts, including the hiring of a man who claimed to decipher secret messages in Al Jazeera newscasts ... a con only uncovered after he'd been paid millions. We speak to the author of "Pay Any Price" on Greed, Power and Endless War....
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New York Times journalist James Risen documents outrageous accounts, including the hiring of a man who claimed to decipher secret messages in Al Jazeera newscasts ... a con only uncovered after he'd been paid millions. We speak to the author of "Pay Any Price" on Greed, Power and Endless War.

In some ways, exposing the U.S. National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program was a defining news story of the post 9/11 era. It drew attention to the so-called "homeland security-industrial complex" that flourished after the attacks. Many wondered whether liberties really needed to be sacrificed for greater security.

The investigative reporter who broke the story was James Risen at the New York Times. It earned him a Pulitzer Prize. But it also seems to have earned him the lasting enmity of that "homeland security industrial complex."

James Risen is the only journalist to be subpoenaed by both the Bush and Obama administrations, and still faces the threat of prison for refusing to reveal the identity of a source. Still, he remains a prolific writer. His new book, Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and Endless War has just been published. James Risen joined us from Washington D.C.


This segment was produced by The Current's Peter Mitton.

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