Judith Miller Gets Fox News Slot, Holds No Grudges About 'NYT' Exit Judith Miller

By Joe Strupp

Published: October 21, 2008 11:00 AM Et
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003875622

NEW YORK Three years after her difficult departure from The New York Times, Judith Miller says she still misses some of the people she worked with and the "excitement of the newsroom." She also says the Times remains "indispensable."

But in today's difficult economic atmosphere, she is glad to be out of the newspaper game at a time when cutbacks and shorter stories are the norm. "The Times has been so gloomy, they have gotten rid of the Metro section," Miller said Monday in a cell phone interview. "It is a very challenging time for our business. Look at the disappearance of The [New York] Sun - it was a very useful addition, whatever you thought of their politics."

Miller, who left the paper in 2005 after 28 years, spoke as word spread of her latest new job, as a commentator for Fox News. Miller said she will be on air and on the Web site part-time discussing First Amendment and free speech issues, as well as foreign policy and national security.

"I get to spout my views, I will NOT be joining the news team," she stressed. "I care about First Amendment issues and free speech and I will talk about that and foreign policy if and when we ever stop talking about the economy, which is going to be going on for a while."

Miller, 60, gained national fame in 2005 when she spent 85 days in jail for failing to reveal a source in the Valerie Plame scandal, the federal investigation into who leaked the former CIA agent's name to reporters.

After she was released, conflicts with some Times editors and reporters over the reporting of her story eventually led to her departure. She has also come under scrutiny for her reporting on pre-war Iraq, including misleading stories about the existence of weapons of mass destruction.

Miller came out of the whole mess as an advocate for a federal shield law, she said, among other First Amendment concerns. She also joined the conservative-leaning Manhattan Institute a year ago, which has allowed her to write longer-form stories and remains her main day-to-day focus, she said.

"There are very few places left where you can write 4,000 and 5,000-word pieces," she said. "My main work will be for the Manhattan Institute, and write for Fox's Web site."

Citing her work for the Institute's City Journal, Miller said she is able to write as much or more than for any newspapers. "I like it very much, it is a very supportive place," she said. "They welcome lots of viewpoints and I find it stimulating; my colleagues are very collegial."

Does she hold any animosity for those who criticized her three years ago? "I am not a grudge-holder, it was really time to leave the Times, " Miller said. "I still think The New York Times is an indispensable institution. But it is great we have these new [web and blog] outlets because we are going to need them given what is the state of journalism."

For hot news, video and a chance to comment, go to the new E&P blog: The E&P Pub

Joe Strupp (jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com) is a senior editor at E&P.

Links referenced within this article

The E&P Pub
http://www.eandppub.com
jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/mailto:jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com

Find this article at:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003875622

source:
http://www.prwatch.org/node/7849

She

should be in jail.

Fox News...

Where criminals go to be commentators. Judith Miller, Karl Rove, Ollie North...


Do these people deserve to know how and why their loved ones were murdered? Do we deserve to know how and why 9/11 happened?

"Kneepads" Epstein AKA Judy Miller

Dear Judy,

I got a tip.

If you are still interested in finding WMD's check out the radiation spike coming out of the Israeli Embassy on the East Side of Manhattan.

How do you sleep at night knowing your Riefenstahl big lie journalism has led to two illegal wars, and the death of about 2 million innocent Iraqis?

I get the feeling your answer is "With a big smirk."

Yes, in jail with Cheney and the evil henchman, Rove...

...and I want to see them in orange jumpsuits on freeway trash detail! Picking up their discarded memoirs...

She refused to reveal her source, under the guise of protecting journalistic integrity? Please! Obstruction of Justice!
Fox News, now is that supposed to be a step up?

I have great respect for Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson, not only for their service, but for their personal grace, especially once the gag order was lifted, and they could actually speak about the matter to some extent.