Process Paper
I wanted to explore a topic that interested me, and study an event that is still significant today. I chose the Pentagon Papers case because of my interest in journalism and because of its impact on today’s debate over freedom of the press and national security secrecy. The topic also fit nicely into the Rights and Responsibilities theme. Both the press and the government have complementary and conflicting rights and responsibilities. The press is provided rights by the First Amendment, and it uses these rights to perform its responsibility to keep the public informed about our government. The government has the responsibility to keep us safe; and the right to keep some information secret. The Pentagon Papers case is about the clash of these rights and responsibilities.
I started my research by visiting my school library, and reading two books that covered the compelling story of publishing the Pentagon Papers and the legal battles that followed. These books provided me with an overview of my topic. Throughout my research, I also collected newspaper and magazine articles from that time period and from today. As my research continued, I realized I needed a better understanding of two issues. First, I needed to understand why our Founding Fathers adopted the First Amendment. Second, because so many sources cover the topic from press’s perspective, I needed to understand the government’s position about national security and secrecy. I visited a number of local public libraries, including the state law library. I also searched several web databases and watched online videos. Some valuable sources were a collection of the drafts and debates of the Bill of Rights, a PBS documentary called NEWSWAR and a George Washington University sponsored site named The National Security Archive.
By far, the most enjoyable and exciting part of my research was conducting three, lengthy personal interviews. To prepare for these interviews I conducted online research to learn more about these men, and developed interview questions. James Goodale and Floyd Abrams both played key roles in the Pentagon Papers case and have continued to be important voices for press rights. Porter Goss provided a unique perspective based on his decades of experience protecting national intelligence. These primary sources provided insiders views about the case and its impact on today’s First Amendment debate.
I selected the website category because it would allow me to broaden my skills. Weebly made it easy to create a website with no experience. It was a great starting point. I enjoyed creating an interactive experience in my own style. To construct my website I drafted an outline to structure my presentation, and constantly revised my website as I found new materials.
“Rights and Responsibilities” is a perfect theme for the Pentagon Papers. Secrecy is an important part of national security. It can also conceal valuable information from its citizens. The Pentagon Papers case is about balancing various rights and responsibilities to keep us protected and informed.
I started my research by visiting my school library, and reading two books that covered the compelling story of publishing the Pentagon Papers and the legal battles that followed. These books provided me with an overview of my topic. Throughout my research, I also collected newspaper and magazine articles from that time period and from today. As my research continued, I realized I needed a better understanding of two issues. First, I needed to understand why our Founding Fathers adopted the First Amendment. Second, because so many sources cover the topic from press’s perspective, I needed to understand the government’s position about national security and secrecy. I visited a number of local public libraries, including the state law library. I also searched several web databases and watched online videos. Some valuable sources were a collection of the drafts and debates of the Bill of Rights, a PBS documentary called NEWSWAR and a George Washington University sponsored site named The National Security Archive.
By far, the most enjoyable and exciting part of my research was conducting three, lengthy personal interviews. To prepare for these interviews I conducted online research to learn more about these men, and developed interview questions. James Goodale and Floyd Abrams both played key roles in the Pentagon Papers case and have continued to be important voices for press rights. Porter Goss provided a unique perspective based on his decades of experience protecting national intelligence. These primary sources provided insiders views about the case and its impact on today’s First Amendment debate.
I selected the website category because it would allow me to broaden my skills. Weebly made it easy to create a website with no experience. It was a great starting point. I enjoyed creating an interactive experience in my own style. To construct my website I drafted an outline to structure my presentation, and constantly revised my website as I found new materials.
“Rights and Responsibilities” is a perfect theme for the Pentagon Papers. Secrecy is an important part of national security. It can also conceal valuable information from its citizens. The Pentagon Papers case is about balancing various rights and responsibilities to keep us protected and informed.