---

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, one of the really secret intelligence outfits, set up this site to provide before and after photography of the area impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

They are also working with governments in the area struck by the earthquake, so that aid can be distributed efficiently.

These are some really high quality photographs that taxpayers spend a lot of money on and don’t even know they exist. I get a feeling that the Agency is doing this to show Congress that they are useful and should be funded.

The data is capable of some really amazing tricks if you have the computing power and software.

---

---

From CNN Reliable Sources [Aired October 16, 2005 – 10:00AM EDT]:

[Howard Kurtz, Host:] Lucy Dalglish, if Karl Rove is indicted, if Karl Rove is indicted, what if he’s not indicted? Isn’t this the worst kind of journalistic speculation?

[Lucy Dalglish, Committee For Freedom Of The Press:] Yes. You know, I think it’s always dangerous to speculate whether or not. You’re really besmirching someone’s reputation, although I’m not sure you can do that with Karl Rove. But it is very, very, you know — I would prefer that people keep an eye on what the — you know, watching him testify and going in and out of the courthouse.

But will it bring down the administration? I don’t know. I don’t know.

[Editor: my emphasis]

---

---

Kevin Drum brings Bloggers And Shield Laws back into the conversation because of Federal noises spurred by the Judith Miller jailing in the Plame case. I don’t see it as a problem, Miller will get credit for time served when she’s convicted and a shield law wouldn’t have helped her because she wasn’t protecting a source. She confirmed for the public what was already known with a minimum of investigation, her source was “Scooter” Libby. She was refusing to testify about what was said, not who said it, and she has not told the truth.

Shield laws are for the protection of journalism, not propaganda. If you know, or should know, that you are part of a disinformation campaign you are not acting as a journalist.

If Ms. Miller had been acting as a journalist she would have written an article announcing that “senior officials” in the Bush administration are conducting a smear campaign against critics of the intelligence being used to justify a war with Iraq. Ms. Miller reported nothing and denied having been contacted by administration officials to spread the story about Ms. Plame.

If you are attempting to inform others, you are acting as a journalist. If you are distorting or concealing information you are a propagandist. The heart of the matter is the intent of the writer.

Bloggers may be journalists, propagandists, or bystanders, depending on their intent. The same is true of people with bylines printed in the New York Times.

---