Law research center releases paper on news aggregating

The Citizen Media Law Center has released a white paper on hot news misappropriation and copyright infringement to suggest “best practices” for those aggregating the news. -db
Citizen Media Law Center
Press Release
August 30, 2010
By Kimberley Isbell
As anyone who has been following the debate regarding the “future of journalism” knows, there have been a lot of [...]

Florida: Losing politician sues newspapers for libel

After losing a hotly contested battle in the Democratic primary election for the U.S. Senate, a Florida businessman is preparing a lawsuit against the St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald charging they libeled him in reporting his business activities which cost him the election.  -db
The New York Times
August 31, 2010
By Jeremy W. Peters [...]

Courts give photographers scant protection in shooting accident scenes

Journalists should not assume they are free to take photos at accident scenes on public roads as indicated by a recent federal court ruling on a case in Guam. -db
First Amendment Center
August 30, 2010
By David L. Hudson Jr.
If you travel to Guam, don’t take pictures of the police on public streets. Don’t assume that [...]

State Department analyst indicted for disclosing secrets about North Korea to Fox News

The Obama administration has taken an aggressive stance toward individuals leaking secret information to the media. -db
The New York Times
August 27, 2010
By Scott Shane
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal grand jury in Washington has indicted a State Department analyst suspected of disclosing top-secret information about North Korea to Fox News, the third time the Obama administration [...]

Iran thought to ban reporting on opposition leaders

A letter from the Iranian government appearing on opposition web sites orders the media to refrain from reporting on two defeated presidential candidates, Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, as well as former President Mohammad Khatami. -db
The New York Times
August 25, 2010
By William Yong and Robert F. Worth
TEHRAN — In a further clampdown [...]

EFF offers help to defendants in copyright lawsuits

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has offered to help bloggers caught in Righthaven’s copyright infringement web. -db
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Commentary
August 25, 2010
By Eva Galperin
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is seeking to assist defendants in the Righthaven copyright troll lawsuits.
Righthaven, founded in March of 2010, files hundreds of copyright infringement lawsuits on behalf of newspaper publishers against bloggers [...]

San Bernardino: Wife of ex-sheriff ruled a private citizen in libel suit

In a multimillion-dollar libel suit against Valley Wide Newspapers, the  plaintiff,the wife of a former sheriff won a ruling that she was not a public figure, athough she had a contract with San Bernardino County to provide counseling services to sheriff’s deputies. -db
San Bernardino Sun
August 23, 2010
By Mike Cruz
A Superior Court judge ruled that the [...]

In court photo dispute Los Angeles Times alleges illegal prior restraint

In a brief filed in court this week, the Los Angeles Times argued that their photographer acted with the court’s permission in taking photos of a defendant charged with murder, and that any attempts to prevent publication of the photos constituted prior restraint. -db
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
August 19, 2010
By a MetNews Staff Writer
A Los Angeles [...]

South Africa considers law to muzzle press

The South African government proposing legislation giving the government wide authority to withhold official documents from the media and to imprison for up to 25 years anyone possessing the documents. -db
Bloomberg News Service
August 10, 2010
By Mike Cohen
The South African government would have authority to classify any official document as being in the “national interest” [...]

Obama administration asks allies to drop hammer on WikiLeaks

The Obama administration has asked Britain, Germany, Australia, and other countries to consider bringing criminal charges against the WikiLeaks founder for providing the media with classified documents on the Afghan war. -db
The Daily Beast
August 10, 2010
By Philip Shenon
The Obama administration is pressing Britain, Germany, Australia, and other allied Western governments to consider opening [...]

California appeals court allows publication of courtroom photos

The California Court of Appeal ordered a Superior Court judge to reverse her ban barring the Los Angeles Times from publishing the courtroom photos of a murder suspect. -db
Los Angeles Times
August 9, 2010
By Andrew Blankstein
The California Court of Appeal ordered a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Monday to abandon her order barring the Los [...]

WikiLeaks case shows need for federal shield law for reporters

The Cincinnati Enquirer argues that the federal shield law now in Congress, while providing for national security and fair trials, will strengthen the media in its quest to hold government and other powerful entities accountability and make it less likely that sources go to “fringe entities” such as WikiLeaks to protect their anonymity. -db
Cincinnati Enquirer
Editorial
August [...]

Free press: Judge bans Los Angeles Times photographer from publishing courtroom photos

A judge approved a written request to photograph a murder suspect but when reminded in court about a prior order banning photography ordered the photographer not to publish his photos. -db
Los Angeles Times
August 5, 2010
By Andrew Blankstein
A judge issued an unusual order Wednesday in which she told a newspaper photographer not to publish pictures [...]

Judge bars LA Times from publishing photos

A judge took the unusual and possibly unconstitutional step of barring a Los Angeles Times photographer from publishing images she allowed him to snap at a hearing for a man charged with murdering a Hollywood family.
News

August 5, 2010
By The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES— Lawyers for the Times planned [...]

Editorial: California bill to seal autopsy reports not in public’s interest

A Los Angeles Times editorial argues that a bill in the California legislature to grant families of murdered children the power to keep autopsy reports sealed would prevent public scrutiny that could improve the criminal justice system and protect families. -db
Los Angeles Times
Editorial
August 3, 2010
California lawmakers should reject a bill that would give families of [...]

Superior Court judge orders newspaper not to publish details of legal dispute

Superior Court Judge took the rare step of ordering The National Law Journal not to publish information ahead of publication
The Washington Post Blog/ Commentary
July 26, 2010
By Mike Debonis

What should have been a boring trade-paper article about a pomegranate-juice company’s legal-fee dispute got a whole lot, er, juicier last week.
Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff took the rare step of [...]

Fla. tourism official says: “hold media in the Gulf accountable”

The chairman of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association is urging Congress to hold the media “accountable” for what he alleges is inaccurate reporting on the Gulf oil spill that has hurt tourism in his state.
AP
July 27, 2010
By Frederic J. Frommer
WASHINGTON — Keith Overton suggested at a hearing Tuesday that Congress charge a federal agency with [...]

Local judge blocks law journal from publishing information obtained legally

A District of Columbia Superior Court judge switched course and ruled the National Law Journal could not publish information in a fee dispute even after it obtained the information through public court documents before the judge decided to seal them. -db
Local judge blocks law journal from publishing information obtained legally
http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/index.php?i=11501
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of [...]

County withdraws search warrant used to search house of Gizmodo editor

In a dispute over the iPhone prototype, law enforcement has withdrawn a search warrant and Gizmodo has agreed to provide specific information over how they obtained the prototype without Apple’s permission. -db
County withdraws search warrant used to search house of Gizmodo editor
http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/index.php?i=11495
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
July 22, 2010
By Cristina Abello
California county officials last [...]

If newspapers won’t defend free speech, no one will

Commentary by editor Thomas Mitchell on freedom of speech and the press. -SMD
Las Vegas Review Journal
Commentary
July 11, 2010
By Thomas Mitchell
The concept of open government and its ancillary principles of access to public information, campaign finance disclosure and limitations and general transparency seem to befuddle some people, who overreach and try to apply it to private [...]

Government agency using subpoenas to obtain whistle blowers’ e-mails with reporters

The Security and Exchange Commission has subpoenaed documents from two whistle blowers including e-mails with reporters, a move that circumvents their usual policy of not subpoenaing reporters directly. -db

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
June 28, 2010
By Ellen Biltz

At least one government agency is using subpoenas to target e-mail between journalists and potential sources [...]

Federal panel asks for detail in journalists’ suit against anti-immigration sheriff

To proceed with their case, journalists attempting to sue Joe Arpaio for civil rights violations must show that the sheriff was directly involved in issuing an order for their arrest for printing a grand jury subpoena. -db
Legal Pad Blog
Commentary
June 21, 2010
By Dan Levine

Remember when Joe Arpaio — the immigrant-hating Arizona sheriff who makes his inmates [...]

California superior court judge rules UC Berkeley police seized journalist’s photos illegally

A superior court judge ruled that University of California police had improperly searched a journalist’s camera during a protest at the UC chancellor’s home in December. The judge ordered all photos returned to the journalist. -db

San Jose Mercury News
June 21, 2010
By Matt Krupnick

An Alameda County judge has ruled UC Berkeley police improperly searched a journalist’s [...]

Media analyst says FTC offbase in approach to saving print journalism

Robert G. Picard disputes the fact that newspapers are not profitable and argues against the Federal Trade Commission’s proposals to imposes anti-competitive practices and taxes to save the industry. -db

The Media Business
Commentary
June 12, 2010
By Robert G. Picard
Following hearings on the state of newspapers this past year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission staff has now prepared [...]

FTC discussion paper provokes debate on future of journalism

The Federal Trade commission has published a staff report with proposals to save print journalism, prompting widespread commentary. Hearings on the problem began June 15. -db

Citizen Media Law Project
Commentary
June 14, 2010
By Eric P. Robinson
The Federal Trade Commission—which last year created guidelines to impose ethical standards on bloggers—is now taking on the ambitious task of saving [...]

Federal appeals court to hear case that could affect online news aggregation

The U.S. Court of Appeals (2nd Circuit) will hear a case this summer involving news media who want to protect time-sensitive stories from online aggregators. -db

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
May 26, 2010
By Brian Westley
A case before a federal appeals court could have important ramifications for news organizations seeking to protect time-sensitive stories from [...]

Former FBI employee gets prison term for leaking classified document to blogger

A former FBI linguist was sentenced to twenty months in jail for leaking classified documents to an unidentified blogger. The linguist admitted using poor judgment but said he was not motivated by selfish interests but felt he acted in the best interests of the American people. -db

Secrecy News
May 25, 2010
By Steven Aftergood
Shamai Leibowitz, a former [...]

Biography Channel hit by federal lawsuits for airing footage of police ride-alongs

The Biography Channel is being sued in federal court by citizens that claim the company is liable for civil rights violations during police ride-along programs. The channel says media coverage of police arrests are of vital interest to the public and should be protected under the First Amendment. -db
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
May [...]

Federal law protects newspapers from liability for online comments posted by third parties

Although federal law protects newspapers and other interactive service providers from libel charges, many newspapers are devising policies to mitigate third party vitriol, profanity and defamation while considering whether to allow anonymous comment. -db

MediaShift
May 12, 2010
By Jeffrey D. Neuburger
A desperate, weeks-long search in 2007 for missing Purdue University student Wade Steffey yielded a number of [...]

Tracy, California: Journalists seek access to records in child murder case

The Associated Press, Stockton Record and the Bay Area News Group filed a motion to lift the gag order and unseal court records in the Sandra Cantu murder case. -db

Tracy Press
May 12, 2010
By TP staff
Three news companies today filed a motion to lift the gag order and unseal court records in the Sandra Cantu murder [...]

Newspapers appeal ban on four reporters covering Guantanamo military trials

Newspapers appealed the Pentagon order that banned four journalists from covering trials of suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay. The newspapers claimed that it was wrong to apply the sanction when contrary to Pentagon guidelines the journalists printed the name of a witness. The newspapers said the identity of the witness was made public years ago [...]

Digital rights foundation claims warrant in Gizmodo case violated California law

According to the Electronic Freedom Foundationn, an examination of the search warrant affidavit that sanctioned the invasion of an Gizmodo’s house last month shows that the warrant should never have been issued in that California law does not allow for suspending a reporter’s testimonial privilege unless another constitutional right is in play. Click on the [...]

Net neutrality legislation could ensnare free speech

Critics say a bill introduced in the House of Representatives to ensure net neutrality would require a news outfit such as the Wall Street Journal to carry news from all news outlets, violating their free speech rights. -db

PC World
Opinion
May 12, 2010
By Grant Gross
U.S. Representative Cliff Stearns wants so badly to stop the U.S. Federal Communications [...]

Judge disallows Theflyonthewall’s financial ‘hot news’

A federal judge rejected a request by Theflyonthewall.com to resume their practice of publishing banks’ stock recommendations early in the morning before clients received the recommendations. -db
Online Media Daily
Maya 13, 2010
By Wendy Davis
A federal judge has rejected Theflyonthewall.com’s request to resume publishing banks’ stock recommendations early in the morning. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote [...]

Pentagon bans reporters from covering Guantanamo hearings

The Pentagon banned four reports from covering military commissions at Guantanamo on the grounds that they violated prohibitions on publishing the name of a former Army interrogator who was a witness at a hearing. -db
McClatchy Newspapers
May 6, 2010
By Nancy A. Youssef

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pentagon Thursday banned four reporters, including one from McClatchy Newspapers, from [...]

Federal judge orders filmmaker to relinquish film footage to Chevron in case about polluting Amazon rain forest

While rejecting Chevron’s argument that a reporters privilege does not apply to documentarians, a federal judge nonetheless ruled the filmmaker had to give film footage to Chevron since he had not promised his sources confidentiality. -db

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
May 7, 2010
By Cristina Abello
A New York federal judge on Thursday ruled that though a [...]

Government watchdog groups says Department of Justice thwarted interview of convicted lobbyist

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed a Freedom of Information Act request concerning what they claim are government efforts to block interviews with Jack Abramoff now serving a prison term for conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion in an influence-peddling scandal in Washington. -db
THE WRAP
May 5, 2010
By Steve Pond
Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff [...]

Judge defers on media request to unseal search warrant affidavit in flap over iPhone

A San Mateo County judge declined to decide a request by news organizations to unseal a search warrant affidavit to learn the justification for a police search of a Gizmodo eitor’s home for records about how he obtained an iPhone prototype. Judge indicates case should be heard by judge who OK’s warrant-db

CNET News
May 6, 2010
By [...]

Journalist files suit over arrest at Republican National Convention

Radio host Amy goodman has filed suit in federal court against public agencies stemming from her arrest while covering protests outside the Republican National Convention. -db
Minnesota Public Radio
May 5, 2010
By Tim Nelson

St. Paul, Minn. — New York-based radio host Amy Goodman is filing suit Wednesday in federal court against officials in Minnesota stemming from her [...]

UN sees freedom of information as crucial in promoting justice, development and democracy

In marking World Press Freedom Day, top United Nations officials condemned the killing of journalists, 77 last year, and called for countries to protect those working in the media. -db

UN News Centre
May 3, 2010

Marking the annual World Press Freedom Day, top United Nations officials have called for promoting the universal right to publicly-held information as [...]

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