I just finished watching a very powerful movie called Nothing But The Truth. I am not usually one that recommends movies or books, but this one was really good.

This is the story of Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale), a young reporter on the national desk of the Capitol Sun-Times, a major Washington, D.C. daily. Rachel writes an explosive story that reveals the identity of covert CIA agent Erica Van Doren (Vera Farmiga) that, once published, causes all hell to break loose and the government to demand the identity of Rachel’s source.

With the support of her editor, Bonnie (Angela Bassett), her paper’s in-house attorney (Noah Wyle) and her husband, Ray (David Schwimmer), Rebecca defies the charismatic, career-minded special prosecutor, Patton Dubois (Matt Dillon). When Rachel also declines to reveal her source to U.S. District Court Judge Hall (Floyd Abrams), he cites her with contempt of court and throws her in jail, pointing out that Rachel alone holds the keys to her cell and that time in the D.C. Detention Center may help her come to realize this.

The story follows the hardships Rachel experiences behind bars as well as the legal struggle played out by her attorney, Albert Burnside (Alan Alda), as he pleads her case on First Amendment grounds — a case he argues all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court. Everyone is rabid to know: Who is the source and why is Rebecca so committed to sacrificing so much to protect it?

Rachel Armstrong fights to protect her source, her integrity and her career. And after being exposed as a covert CIA operative, Erica Van Doren fights to protect her reputation within the agency and the sanctity of her other life as a caring suburban mother.

Pay close attention to Alan Alda’s speech before the Supreme Court as he explains what happens when accountability is controlled by governments.

In 1972, in Branzburg v. Hayes, this court ruled against the right of reporters to withhold the names of their sources before a grand jury and it gave the power to the government to imprison those reporters that did. It was a 5-4 decision. Close. In his dissent, in Branzburg, Justice Stewart said “as the years pass, the powers of government become more and more pervasive. Those in power, he said, whatever their politics, want only to perpetuate it and the people are the victims. Well, the years have passed and that power is pervasive.

Ms. Armstrong could have buckled to the demands of the government. She could abandoned her promise of confidentiality. She could have simply gone home to her family. But to do so, would mean that no source would ever speak to her again and no source would ever speak to her newspaper again. And then tomorrow, when we lock up journalists from other newspapers, we’ll make those publications irrelevant as well. And thus, will make the first amendment irrelevant.

And how will we know if a President is covering up crimes or if an Army officer has condoned torture? We, as a nation, will not longer be able to hold those in power accountable to those whom they have power over. What then is the nature of government? When it has no fear of accountability? We should shudder at the thought. Imprisoning journalists. Thats for other countries. That’s for countries who fear their citizens, not countries that cherish and protect them.

Some time ago, I began to feel the personal.. human pressure on Rachel Armstrong and I told her that I was as there to represent her and not a principle. And it was not until I met her that I realized that with great people there’s no difference between principle and the person.

This is the level of journalism that made it the 4th pillar of democracy. Hopefully, here in Pakistan, we will be able to find and keep the fortitude to uncover the truth.