RTNDA Calls on Congress To Pass Federal Shield Law Protecting Reporters
WASHINGTON -- The Board of Directors of the Radio-Television News Directors Association has adopted a resolution in support of a federal shield law. A shield law would protect reporters such as Jim Taricani, who was sentenced today to six months in home confinement for refusing to name a confidential source.
Taricani, a reporter at NBC affiliate WJAR-TV in Providence, RI, was convicted of criminal contempt in federal court November 18 because he would not disclose who had given him an FBI videotape related to an investigation of corruption in his local government.
"Jim Taricani has been placed in this position because the law does not recognize that reporters are obliged to protect the confidentiality of their sources," says Barbara Cochran, RTNDA president. "An increasing number of journalists are facing loss of personal liberty because of their efforts to inform the public of wrongdoing. It is time for a federal shield law to protect reporters like Jim and those facing contempt of court rulings in other ongoing investigations."
Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have shield laws. To read RTNDA's call for a federal law, visit
www.rtnda.org/foi/shield.shtml.
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