Newsgathering
Items: 795 (40 pages)
Pages: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 ... · > · >>
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE 2nd Cir. · July 16, 2010 · Newsgathering
Judge orders Berlinger to turn over portions of footage
Documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger will have to turn over three categories of unused footage from the film "Crude: The Real Price of Oil" to the Chevron Corporation, according to an order issued yesterday by the three-judge panel of an appeals court.
Under the conditions of the order, Berlinger shall "promptly turn over" unreleased footage that relates to plaintiffs' counsel in a pending lawsuit, private or court-appointment experts in that proceeding and any depicting the current or former officials of the Ecuadorian government.
In a statement released today, Berlinger said that while he had not seen the full opinion, which has not yet been released, he is pleased with the initial results.
"The appeals court has substantially limited Judge Kaplan's overbroad order, which was the main thrust of our appeal," Berlinger said. "The court has expressly prohibited Chevron from using any footage we do turn over in their public relations campaigns, a goal that was extremely important to me. The courts have affirmed that documentary filmmakers are . . . [more]
— Ellen Biltz, 1:29 pm · Comments: 0
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE 2nd Cir. · July 15, 2010 · Newsgathering
Appeals court hears oral arguments in 'Crude' case
At least one judge on the appellate panel that will decide whether a documentary filmmaker must turn over 600 hours of unused footage seemed skeptical on Wednesday of the argument that a journalist's privilege protects all of the documentary outtakes.
The Court of Appeals in New York City (2nd Cir.) heard oral arguments yesterday about whether Joe Berlinger, the maker of "Crude: The Real Price of Oil," should have to give his outtakes to the Chevron Corporation, which says they're needed to fight pending legal battles.
Chevron filed a petition for subpoena earlier this year to get Berlinger’s outtakes, claiming the company needed the footage as evidence in three lawsuits the company and its attorneys are currently fighting related to oil drilling that took place in Ecuador until the 1990s. Chevron claims that the film contains information that could help its case and that Berlinger is the only one with that information.
Journalists, celebrities and other filmmakers have come to Berlinger’s defense as he’s argued that the outtakes should be protected by his journalist’s privilege.
It is unclear when a . . . [more]
— Ellen Biltz, 5:41 pm · Comments: 0
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE International · June 30, 2010 · Newsgathering
Puerto Rico journalists fight for access to Senate
Journalists have regained access to Puerto Rico’s Senate press gallery after the chamber’s president lifted a four-day ban on members of the press.
The dispute between the Puerto Rican media and Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz began Thursday when he kicked out reporters and photographers as the lawmakers were in session to discuss the commonwealth’s budget, according to news reports.
At the time, Schatz gave no reason for blocking journalists from covering the discussion but later alleged that a photographer had inappropriately tried to take pictures of papers on his desk, said Oscar Serrano, co-executive director of the Center for Investigative Journalism in San Juan. Schatz did not identify either the photographer or the news organization to which she belonged, Serrano said.
Schatz allowed print reporters back into the chamber Friday and photographers on Tuesday, just as the center and other media organizations and outlets petitioned the Puerto Rico Supreme Court to order him to do so. The Puerto Rican Constitution states the sessions of each house of the Legislature “shall be open.”
Schatz, in a letter to . . . [more]
— Mike Torralba, 5:29 pm · Comments: 0
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE New York · June 24, 2010 · Newsgathering
Friend-of-the-court briefs filed in case over 'Crude' outtakes
Three groups filed friend-of-the-court briefs yesterday in a dispute between an oil company that wants unused documentary footage and the filmmaker who says he is not bound to provide it.
In the case, Chevron Corporation v. Berlinger, filmmaker Joe Berlinger is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York City (2nd Cir.) to deny Chevron’s request that he overturn 600 hours worth of unused film from his documentary "Crude: The Real Price of Oil," which depicts rain forest damage in Ecuador that was allegedly caused by the oil company Texaco, which was later bought by Chevron.
One brief, filed by several media outlets and joined by The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, asks the court to uphold the long-standing precedent of reporter’s privilege for video outtakes.
Specifically, the brief asks the court to rely on the case, Gonzalez v. National Broadcasting Company, in which the court found that a litigant can only subpoena nonconfidential materials if they are of "likely relevance to a significant issue in the case, and are . . . [more]
— Ellen Biltz, 6:16 pm · Comments: 0
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE 2nd Cir. · June 23, 2010 · Newsgathering
Media organizations weigh in on 'hot news' case
More than a dozen media organizations are urging a federal appeals court to recognize that “hot news” misappropriation claims are an important legal remedy to protect news organizations' content from Internet aggregators that do not conduct original reporting.
Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press, The New York Times and The Washington Post are among the organizations that joined a friend-of-the-court brief filed Tuesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York City (2nd Cir.) in the case Barclays Capital v. Theflyonthewall.com.
The case involves the once-obscure “hot news” doctrine, which was first recognized by the Supreme Court more than 90 years ago. The doctrine recognizes that a news organization can obtain an injunction against a competitor who continuously and systematically copies its news stories while they are still timely. Copyright law provides only limited protection for news stories because the law protects expression, not the underlying facts.
“Today, originators make most news stories available on . . . [more]
— Brian Westley, 5:25 pm · View reader comments (1)
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE Nevada · June 14, 2010 · Newsgathering
Las Vegas newspaper sues websites over use of content
The Las Vegas Review-Journal is suing dozens of websites that are using the newspaper’s content without permission.
Righthaven LLC, a Nevada company that represents the paper, has filed 37 lawsuits since March against various organizations for copyright infringement, including blogs that discuss reforming marijuana laws, sports betting and real estate.
“We believe we’ve only scratched the surface of dealing with this issue,” Righthaven Chief Executive Steven Gibson said. “There are literally oceans of infringement out there.”
Review-Journal officials say the litigation is necessary to ensure the newspaper’s survival. When websites reproduce Review-Journal stories and post them online, they eliminate any reason for readers to visit the newspaper’s website, said Mark Hinueber, general counsel for Stephens Media, which owns the Review-Journal. Reducing Internet traffic hurts the newspaper’s ability to earn ad revenue online, where an increasing number of readers now get their news.
The problem isn’t unique to the Review-Journal; scores of media companies are . . . [more]
— Brian Westley, 5:34 pm · View reader comments (9)
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE Washington, D.C. · June 1, 2010 · Newsgathering
Congress considering two new animal cruelty bills
Congress is looking for a new way to combat animal cruelty videos in the wake of the Supreme Court's recent ruling that found the current law unconstitutional.
At a subcommittee hearing of the House Judiciary Committee last week, lawmakers focused on how Congress should frame a new "crush porn" or animal cruelty bill following the court’s opinion in United States v. Stevens, which said the statute criminalizing the creation, sale or possession of depictions of animal cruelty was invalid because it violated the First Amendment.
The statute was enacted in 1999 to prosecution those who made and distributed so-called "crush" videos that depict scantily-clad women stepping on and killing small animals while wearing high-heeled shoes. However, the defendant in Stevens was prosecuted under the statute for possessing videos depicting dog fighting. The Supreme Court said that the statute was so broad it criminalized protected speech.
The subcommittee, which is chaired by Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., heard from two House representatives . . . [more]
— Ellen Biltz, 6:39 pm · Comments: 0
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE U.S. · May 26, 2010 · Newsgathering
'Hot news' case could impact online news aggregation
A case before a federal appeals court could have important ramifications for news organizations seeking to protect time-sensitive stories from online aggregators that siphon away readers and advertisers by repackaging and distributing news secondhand on their own site.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York City (2nd Cir.) is poised hear arguments as soon as this summer in a case that pits three financial firms against defendant Theflyonthewall.com – a subscription Web site that aggregates financial news.
The firms – Barclays Capital, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley – have sued Theflyonthewall.com for “hot news” misappropriation, claiming the website took the firms’ investment research without authorization and redistributed the recommendations before the firms had a chance to share it with their clients.
A federal judge in March ruled in favor of the firms and prevented Theflyonthewall.com from publishing pre-market research until 30 minutes after the stock market opens. Theflyonthewall.com was also ordered to wait two hours to publish research issued while the market is open.
Last week, however, the Second . . . [more]
— Brian Westley, 6:44 pm · View reader comments (1)
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE Illinois · May 21, 2010 · Newsgathering
Biography Channel faces lawsuits over aired ride alongs
The Biography Channel and its parent company face two federal lawsuits that look to test the limits of media liability for alleged civil rights violations that occur during police ride-along programs.
So far, only the Ninth Circuit has held that the news media can be liable for civil rights violations when they entered private property with officials.
Both suits against A&E Televisions Networks, which is the Biography Channel's parent company, are over footage shown in a show called "Female Forces" that follows female officers with “brains, beauty and a badge” as they patrol the suburbs of Chicago, according to the Biography Channel’s website.
In the first case, a U.S. District Court judge in Chicago has ruled the cable network may have violated a woman’s civil rights by broadcasting her likeness and identity during an episode of the reality series. A ruling on a motion to dismiss the second case could come any day, said an attorney for the defendants. Both lawsuits seek to hold the channel liable for alleged violations of the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure.
The judge in . . . [more]
— Mike Torralba, 4:36 pm · Comments: 0
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE U.S. · May 17, 2010 · Newsgathering
Obama signs law promoting worldwide press freedom
President Barack Obama signed legislation on Monday that will promote press freedom around the world and honor a Wall Street Journal reporter who was murdered in Pakistan in 2002.
The Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act requires the State Department to identify countries that violate press freedoms by subjecting journalists to physical attacks, imprisonment and censorship. In countries where opposition to the press is particularly severe, the department will determine whether foreign governments are directly participating in or condoning the treatment of journalists.
The State Department, as part of its annual review of human rights practices in each country, will also report on what actions foreign governments have taken to prosecute those who attack or kill journalists.
Obama said the legislation will single out countries and subject them to the “gaze of world opinion” as he signed the bill into law in the Oval Office. “Without this kind of attention, countries and governments feel they can operate against the press with impunity and we want to send a message that they can’t.”
The legislation was inspired by . . . [more]
— Brian Westley, 6:49 pm · Comments: 0
QUICKLINK Minnesota · May 5, 2010 · Newsgathering
Journalists file suit over arrests at Republican National Convention
Journalists arrested at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minnesota have sued the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis for violating their First Amendment right to gather news, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
"Democracy Now!" host Amy Goodman and two producers among the nearly 50 journalists arrested during the RNC . . . [more]
— Christine Beckett, 5:55 pm · Comments: 0
QUICKLINK New York · April 26, 2010 · Newsgathering
Photographer sues over arrest for videotaping public protest
A civil rights group has filed a lawsuit against the federal government over the November arrest of a photographer outside of a federal courthouse in Manhattan, The New York Times reported.
Antonio Musumeci was arrested for videotaping a political protest outside the courthouse and charged with violating a federal regulation that requires the written permission of an authorized official for any photography in the space occupied by an agency. The New York Civil Liberties Union is . . . [more]
— Mara Zimmerman, 5:51 pm · Comments: 0
PRESS RELEASE Virginia · April 22, 2010 · Newsgathering
Reporters Committee protests raid on student newsroom
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press on Tuesday sent a letter condemning a county prosecutor's decision to confiscate the computer files of James Madison University's student newspaper.
“By raiding The Breeze’s newsroom and copying files from its computers, you have by extension infringed upon every Virginian’s right to receive information from an independent and free press,” Reporters Committee Executive Director Lucy A. Dalglish wrote to Rockingham County Commonwealth's Attorney Marsha Garst.
Attorneys representing the paper and the prosecutors office are still . . . [more]
— Posted at 4:34 pm · View reader comments (1)
QUICKLINK U.S. · April 21, 2010 · Newsgathering
Parks police block journalists from covering White House protest
The U.S. Parks Police have accepted responsibility for blocking journalists from covering a protest in front of the White House staged by gay war veterans, POLITICO reported.
"That was strictly the U.S. Parks Police that screwed up – that has nothing to do with the Secret Service of the White House or the Administration," Sergeant David Schlosser told POLITICO.
The veterans, who served in Iraq, were protesting the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" . . . [more]
— Amanda Becker, 5:24 pm · Comments: 0
NEWS MEDIA UPDATE Virginia · April 19, 2010 · Newsgathering
College journalists negotiating over seized riot photos
Attorneys representing a college newspaper and a local prosecutor agreed on Sunday to temporarily seal photographs that were seized from the publication's hard drives and transfer them to a third party until further negotiations can take place, James Madison University's The Breeze reported.
“We’re relieved that the prosecution is now talking civilly with the students and their counsel and that everyone is moving toward a resolution that will make sure the integrity of newsrooms is respected in the future,” said Student Press Law Center Executive Director Frank D. LoMonte. The organization provided initial assistance to the students and put them in touch with legal representation.
The Breeze Editor-In-Chief Katie Thisdell had refused by phone an initial request to hand over images of a recent off-campus event that became unruly, injuring dozens and requiring police to disperse an 8,000-person crowd with tear gas and riot gear.
The prosecutor's office and police executed the . . . [more]
— Cristina Abello, 5:43 pm · Comments: 0
QUICKLINK U.S. · April 19, 2010 · Newsgathering
White House asks reporters to stop citing anonymous sources
White House press correspondents have been asked to stop the practice of citing anonymous government sources in their work, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told CNN on Sunday, The Hill reported.
Gibbs finds no reason why reporters cannot find attributable sources in the administration and talked about a policy where officials will not comment on stories where there are anonymous sources used.
"I think we could all put what we want to say to the American . . . [more]
— Christine Beckett, 5:25 pm · View reader comments (4)
QUICKLINK Maryland · April 15, 2010 · Newsgathering
Former NSA official charged in newspaper leak investigation
Federal prosecutors on Thursday charged a former high-ranking National Security Agency official with lying and obstruction of justice relating to an investigation into leaks made to an unidentified newspaper, The Associated Press reported.
According to the charges in the Maryland District Court indictment, Thomas Drake sent both classified and unclassified information to an unnamed reporter at a national newspaper . . . [more]
— Cristina Abello, 5:08 pm · Comments: 0
QUICKLINK Ohio · March 26, 2010 · Newsgathering
Ohio newspaper voluntarily reveals anonymous blogger
A Cleveland newspaper unmasked the identity of an anonymous commenter who posted personal attacks on newspaper employees on the paper's website, The Plain Dealer [Cleveland] reported.
The Plain Dealer revealed the commenter's identity after newspaper editors found out that it was a local judge commenting on cases pending in her court.
The newspaper's decision to voluntarily reveal the source of the online comments sparked debate among media ethicists. Anonymous . . . [more]
— Curry Andrews, 1:48 pm · View reader comments (2)
QUICKLINK Kansas · March 24, 2010 · Newsgathering
Reporter wins award for story that resulted in subpoena
The Kansas reporter who lost her job in early March, following a battle over a subpoena for her newsgathering materials, has won four awards from the Kansas Press Association, the Dodge City Daily Globe reported.
Former Daily Globe reporter Claire O'Brien was subpoenaed over a jailhouse interview she had conducted with a criminal defendant. . . . [more]
— Christine Beckett, 6:37 pm · View reader comments (3)
QUICKLINK 4th Cir. · March 17, 2010 · Newsgathering
Appeals court rejects ban on airport news racks
A federal appeals court ruled Monday that a North Carolina airport violated the First Amendment rights of newspapers when it banned newspaper racks in its terminals, Editor & Publisher reported.
In a 2-1 vote, a panel of justices at a U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond (4th Cir.), rejected arguments by the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority that the racks were a security threat, obstructed traffic and caused terminal stores to lose money in newspaper . . . [more]
— Nadia Tamez-Robledo, 5:19 pm · Comments: 0
Pages: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 ... · > · >>
• RSS feed
News categories:
News keywords: