Justice Department leak case prompts backlash from watchdog groups

Fox News journalist James Rosen may face criminal charges as a result of classified leaks, according to new information released Monday about the Department of Justice investigation.

The news has prompted backlash from First Amendment supporters and watchdog groups.

From the Washington Post:

Critics said the government's suggestion that James Rosen, Fox News's chief Washington correspondent, was a "co-conspirator" for soliciting classified information threatened to criminalize press freedoms protected by the First Amendment. Others also suggested that the Justice Department's claim in pursuing an alleged leak from the State Department was little more than pretext to seize his e-mails to build their case against the suspected leaker.

When does freedom of information endanger the public, and what right do journalists have to cover and report on classified information?