Mr. S?amus Dooley:

Yes, there is. There is a chilling effect to defamation. There is also a chilling effect of the lack of investment in editorial resources. That is a reality. The pressure the Senator identified and with which he is familiar is something journalists suffer from. Another issue on which we have not touched is that journalists may be sued individually. There is a particular issue concerning freelance journalists who do not have the protection of a source. The suing of freelance journalists is a particular concern with which we deal regularly. Whether or not this is a political issue - I contend it is because only politicians can reform the law. In that sense, I believe the industry should invest in the council and in resources. The chill effect to which Mr. McConnell referred regarding whether stories are done or not is a big challenge, particularly for freelancers.