It's not illegal for journalists to possess classified info, because espionage laws only apply to those who are authorized to possess such info and disclose it

It's not illegal for journalists to possess classified info, because espionage laws only apply to those who are authorized to possess such info and disclose it without authorization to a third party; the third parties themselves are guilty of nothing (except perhaps "conspiracy" as the DoJ is trying to do against Wikileaks, allegedly.)