Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: NYT: Defiant on Witness Stand, Times Reporter Says Little

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

NYT: Defiant on Witness Stand, Times Reporter Says Little

Defiant on Witness Stand, Times Reporter Says Little

By MATT APUZZOJAN. 5, 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/us/james-risen-in-tense-testimony-refuses-to-offer-clues-on-sources.html

“… the Obama administration’s leak crackdown provoked a backlash among journalism groups…” nyti.ms/1xvp1Fg #partylikeajournalist

Reporter May Still Face Questions About Source DEC. 13, 2014

U.S. Given Deadline in Case Against James RisenDEC. 10, 2014

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — After losing a seven-year legal battle, James Risen, a reporter for The New York Times, reluctantly took the witness stand in federal court here on Monday, but refused to answer any questions that could help the Justice Department identify his confidential sources.

Mr. Risen said he would not say anything to help prosecutors bolster their case against Jeffrey A. Sterling, a former C.I.A. officer who is set to go on trial soon on charges of providing classified information to Mr. Risen for his 2006 book, “State of War.”

[…]

Mr. Risen fought the subpoena to the Supreme Court and lost, but said he would still not reveal his sources. And as the case has gone on, the Obama administration’s leak crackdown provoked a backlash among journalism groups and civil rights advocates. They criticized the Justice Department for its treatment of Mr. Risen as well as for subpoenaing phone records from The Associated Press, labeling one Fox News reporter a criminal co-conspirator and seeking grand jury testimony from another.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/us/james-risen-in-tense-testimony-refuses-to-offer-clues-on-sources.html

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On July 8, 2014, the Society of Professional Journalists sent President Barack Obama a letter urging more transparency… According to information e-mailed by the Society on July 8, 2014:

“The Society of Professional Journalists and 37 other journalism and open government groups today called on President Obama to stop practices in federal agencies that prevent important information from getting to the public.

“We sent a letter to Obama today urging changes to policies that constrict information flow to the public, including prohibiting journalists from communicating with staff without going through public information offices, requiring government PIOs to vet interview questions and monitoring interviews between journalists and sources.

“The letter outlines other specific examples of the excessive information control, considered by some as a form of censorship…” Find the letter here: http://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=1253

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