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Top editors from the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, responding to criticism over publishing stories about a government program that tracked millions of financial records in search of terrorists, on Saturday defended their decisions to publish government secrets.
“We weigh the merits of publishing against the risks of publishing,” wrote Dean Baquet, Los Angeles Times editor, and Bill Keller, New York Times executive editor, in an op-ed piece in both newspapers. They said judging whether to report sensitive information is a deliberate and intensive process but they have an obligation to inform.
President Bush and others have been critical of the leaks and their publication.
