DOJ Rescinds Biden-Era Protections for Journalists, Resumes Subpoenas in Leak Investigations

This scores as List A (Constitutional Damage > Distraction). A-score: 30.3 driven primarily by civil_rights (5/5 - direct First Amendment press freedom impact), rule_of_law (4/5 - reversal of protective norms around journalist-source confidentiality), and separation (3/5 - executive pressure on independent press function). Norm erosion mechanism applies 0.85 modifier as this reverses Biden protections but doesn't create new legal authority. Severity: durability 1.2 (policy can persist through administration), reversibility 0.9 (next administration can restore), precedent 1.1 (normalizes journalist subpoenas). B-score: 20.1 reflects genuine media interest (media_friendliness 9/10 - press covering threats to itself) and outrage potential, but lower meme_ability and modest strategic indicators. The +10.2 delta confirms this is substantive constitutional concern, not manufactured distraction. Scope is federal but affects core democratic infrastructure (free press).