Month: October 2019

NMU RHODE ISLAND Confidentiality/Privilege Nov 1, 2001 Radio talk-show host fights special prosecutor’s subpoena A special prosecutor sought the deposition of a Rhode Island radio personality, who then claimed a reporter’s privilege against testifying about confidential sources. A radio talk-show host has not proven he is a journalist, so he is not entitled to special First Amendment protection against a subpoena for his testimony, a special prosecutor in Providence, R.I., is arguing in a federal…

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News Media Update NEW YORK Confidentiality/Privilege Two reporters subpoenaed in leak investigation Reporters from NBC and Time received federal subpoenas to appear before the grand jury investigating the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity. May 24, 2004 — A federal grand jury has subpoenaed Tim Russert, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper to answer questions regarding the leak of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity. NBC and Time…

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A Winnipeg Free Press columnist points out that it will be an interesting autumn for Canadian journalists as the Canadian Supreme Court takes on three media law issues in six different cases. Two cases concern the issue of how much protection journalists can offer their confidential sources. Another two involve the issue of a libel defense for "responsible journalism," which sounds functionally similar to the U.S. "actual malice" test. And two more will make the…

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A federal shield bill that would give reporters a qualified privilege from being forced to disclose confidential sources or information passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday and is set to go before the full Senate for a vote. The bill, known as the Free Flow of Information Act of 2013, passed on a 13-5 vote. Supporters of the bill said they hope to see it move quickly to the Senate. “We hope with the…

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A federal judge in Seattle yesterday granted a journalism professor’s motion to quash a subpoena from lawyers representing Chicago police officers in a civil rights case. Judge Marsha Pechman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington ruled in favor of Carolyn Nielsen, who wrote articles about a now-exonerated teenage murder defendant during graduate school. Pechman also awarded Nielsen a protective order against future deposition and her attorneys fees and costs. Nielsen…

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On Friday, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University urged a federal judge to deny a request from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the government’s warrantless search and seizure of electronic devices at the border. In a friend-of-the-court brief submitted to a federal district court…

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Attorney General Eric Holder told senators Wednesday that the Department of Justice would support a media shield law as long as it did not hamper government’s efforts to protect national security and to discover the identities of people who leak classified information. "The Department (of Justice) and (the Obama) Administration can support such a bill," Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Our concern is that it doesn’t constrain our ability to protect national security." He…

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“The Cervantes family is heartbroken to announce that their baby girl Adelaide Grace passed early Saturday morning,” a statement provided to CNN Monday from Cervantes’s rep read. ### “She was held in the loving arms of her family as she peacefully achieved the “calm” for which they’ve been searching for so long.” ### According to her mother’s blog, Adelaide was diagnosed with epilepsy at seven months and later, infantile spasms, a severe form of childhood…

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Christian Pulisic described his outing for Chelsea at Burnley as a “perfect day” after his hat trick helped Frank Lampard’s side to a 4-2 win at Turf Moor. In his first Premier League start since August, Pulisic produced a standout display for the Blues on Saturday, scoring his side’s first three goals before Willian netted a fourth. Jay Rodriguez and Dwight McNeil made the scoreline more respectable for Burnley but could not take away from…

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Last week’s consensus top add was Lions RB Ty Johnson, and it wasn’t difficult to find him touted as a top sleeper this week against the Giants. Turns out, Detroit had other plans, starting recent pickup Tra Carson and giving him five more carries than Johnson. Arizona’s Chase Edmonds was also a popular pickup, but he had just eight yards rushing before leaving with an injury. So, are the top Week 9 fantasy waiver wire pickups just a…

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