Right of access rules work in attacked reporter's favor

by Naomi P.

If journalists need proof that having respect for the rules of access is for their own good, and the importance of 'keeping the camera rolling,' consider what happened this week to Charmayne Brown, a broadcast news reporter from WSPA-TV in S.C.

Brown stood across the street from a crime scene, following up on a story about a suspect in a murder. As she and her cameraman wrapped up, four people--some members of the suspect’s family--crossed the street, verbally attacked and physically beat her. A nearby cameraman from another station, covering the same story, caught the incident on tape. Because Brown was on public property at the time, the law is on her side.

One of the accused attackers and the family of another one of the accused have since issued an apology.

Fines blocked for reporter who would not reveal sources

By Naomi P.

AP photo of Dr. Steven J. Hatfill


Former USA Today reporter Toni Locy won a reprieve this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia from having to pay a huge contempt of court fine while her case is on appeal.

Dr. Steven J. Hatfill, about whom she wrote after John Ashcroft mentioned him as “a person of interest” in the anthrax attacks of 2001, filed a civil suit in which he demanded the names of Locy’s anonymous sources who confirmed or provided details about him.

Rather than sentence her to jail time for refusing to name her sources, as is usual in such cases, the lower court ruled that beginning Tuesday, she was to pay a fine of up to $5000 a day.

In an even more unusual move, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton also barred USA Today or anyone else, for that matter, from paying or otherwise assisting with the fine.

But while she is breathing a tentative sigh of relief, the rest of the press community holds its breath. If she loses the appeal, the case will set a precedent that could allow the court to force reporters into punitive bankruptcy and could foreseeably destroy the field and purpose of journalism, particularly investigative journalism. Journalists and even politicians are calling for a federal shield law.

Should sports marketing contracts be open?

The Associated Press reported Saturday that sports-marketing contracts with universities are "trade secrets" and schools are legally allowed to keep the amount of money that they receive through the contracts a secret.  Oregon's two largest universities are neglecting to make these records public.  The public interest is outweighed by the amount of benefit that the schools receive through these marketing contracts.  The school has released past and present records but has blacked out portions of the contracts that list the guaranteed annual amounts received, stating that contractors may offer less if they know how much the school has settled for in the past.  This has raised concerns among students and the community, since other schools seem free to admit this information, and these are technically public records.

Megan Humphreys

"Do Not Deliver" Bills follow Do Not Call

The Associated Press reported Sunday that in Maryland four free-delivery newspapers would begin to stop delivering to customers that do not want them.  This would be made possible by the publishing of a phone number in the paper that homeowners could call to stop the delivery.  This would be one of the first bills of its kind.  The proposed bill came after homeowners began to complain that the free newspapers littered their neighborhoods and did not stop when canceled.  The papers involved will be The Examiner, the Carroll County Times, the Gazette, and the Merchandiser.   There are currently discussions regarding whether this will hurt the growth and expansion of free newspapers.

Megan Humphreys

Michigan argues over who gets access to voters information

The ACLU has filed action against the Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land on behalf of the Green, Libertarian, and Reform parties of Michigan stating that it is illegal to allow on the two major parties in Michigan, the Democratic and Republican, access to voter information and responses, the Associated Press reported.  The parties are claiming that this violates the Constitution's first and fourteenth amendments by limiting the information to only two parties and by limiting the news media from reporting on matters of public interest that relate to party preference.  The injunction asks that the court declare the law unconstitutional.

Megan Humphreys

Wiki allowed back online

The Associated Press reported that the wiki website wikileaks.org, was granted the right to reopen again in the United States on Saturday.  The website claims to have posted over 1 million leaked government documents, including the operation manual for the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay.  The website was originally shutdown when it was accused by Julius Baer, a Zurich-based bank, of posting account information stolen by a former employee.  This raised free speech concerns when it was considered whether the legal measures carried out were "constitutionally appropriate," rather than just removing the sensitive information.  The Associated Press and the ACLU were among the several organizations that filed briefs on the case.

Megan Humphreys

Prince Returns Home after US Media Leak

According to British news media, the Guardian, Prince Harry returned to the UK Friday following a US media leak of his current front line military post in Afghanistan.  The news was leaked through the US media outlet The Drudge Report, as well as online outlets.  The British media outlets were all previously aware of the prince's deployment in Afghanistan, but had struck a deal with the Ministry of Defense that would provide photographs and footage of the prince while deployed.  The media outlets were urged not to release the information right away should a foreign media outlet expose the story first.

Megan Humphreys