Here in the United States, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the government can send two prominent reporters to prison if they refuse to disclose their confidential sources. The ruling comes in a case centered on the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. A grand jury has been attempting to force Judith Miller of the New York Times and Matthew Cooper of Time Magazine to disclose who they privately talked to while researching the story. Reporters Without Borders harshly criticized the court ruling. It said in a statement “The role of the press in providing checks and balances is under fire this time, and the US courts must understand that, if the confidentiality of journalists’ sources is not guaranteed, no one will go to them with sensitive information.” The organization went on to say “By protecting the identity of their sources, journalists are safeguarding society’s right to monitor public affairs.”