Carol Rosenberg's story today in the Miami Herald is the most detail I've seen yet on how public the military commission trials will be at Guantanamo, and what access journalists will have. The government, in short, will open the hearings but keep strict control over what reporters see, hear, and report. New organizations and the ACLU are challenging the rules, which the Herald helpfully published here. Take a look at the juiciest part (with the charming military acronym "NMR" denoting "news media representative"):
Failure to comply with these ground rules or the Presiding Officer’s instructions, could result in permanent expulsion from the courtroom area and may result in the removal of the parent news organization from further participation and could subject the (NMR) to criminal prosecution.By signing this document, an NMR is agreeing to abide by the following restrictions:a. To not publish, release, discuss, or share information identified bycommission’s personnel as being Protected Information or otherwise protected from disclosure by these ground rules.(1) Protected Information includes: (i) information classified or classifiable; (ii) information protected by law or rule from unauthorized disclosure; (iii) information, the disclosure of which may endanger the physical safety of participants in commission proceedings, including prospective witnesses; (iv) information concerning intelligence and law enforcement sources, methods or activities; or (v) information concerning other national security interests. b. If Protected Information is inadvertently disclosed during a session, the Presiding Officer can order a media embargo until the status of the information is determined.
Well, that just about covers it. Hard to imagine more extensive government control of public information short of a total blackout. (Via How Appealing.)