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    Digital Journalist's Legal Guide
    Tablet and mobile phone showing news online

    Everything online journalists need to protect their legal rights. This free resource culls from all Reporters Committee resources and includes exclusive content on digital media law issues.

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    Page Number: 
    30

    From the Winter 2001 issue of The News Media & The Law, page 30.



    Bartnicki v. Vopper

    • Gloria Bartnicki

    Chief negotiator for Wyoming Valley West (Pa.) School District Teachers' Union. Her cellular phone conversation with Anthony Kane was surreptitiously recorded.

  • Anthony F. Kane Jr.

    • President of Wyoming Valley West (Pa.) School District Teachers' Union. His cellular phone conversation with Gloria Bartnicki was surreptitiously recorded.

  • Jack Yocum

    • President of Wyoming Valley West (Pa.) Taxpayers' Association who received copy of audiotape of the phone conversation in his mailbox.

  • Frederick W. Vopper

    • WILK Radio talk show host who received the tapes from Yocum and broadcast the recorded conversation over the air. Known by the on-air name Fred Williams.

    Peavy v. WFAA-TV

    • Charles Harman

    Used a police scanner to listen to wireless telephone conversations of a neighbor in December 1994. Harman recorded conversations in which Peavy allegedly discussed plans to unfairly interfere in the school district's award of an insurance contract and threatened Harman.

  • Carver Peavy

    • A trustee of the local school district who sued WFAA and a reporter in October 1996 for allegedly violating wiretap laws and for civil conspiracy.

  • WFAA-TV

    • A Texas television station that reported on Peavy's alleged wrongdoing, without broadcasting the recorded conversation. The station disclosed some content from the conversations, but did not make the recording.

    Boehner v. McDermott

    • The Florida couple

    Used a scanner, to intercept and record a conference call of Republican House members discussing an ethics investigation of then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).

  • Rep. James A. McDermott

    • The ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, who received a copy of the tape. The representative in turn passed the tape on to The New York Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Roll Call, each of whom published a story about the conversation.

  • Rep. John A. Boehner

    • A participant in the original conference call who sued McDermott for violation of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.

    The News Media and The Law, Winter 2001