News

In recent years, more than 40 journalists have been questioned in federal criminal and civil court proceedings about their confidential sources, notes and stories. In too many cases the journalist was the first stop for the lawyer seeking information. The practice threatens to turn reporters into de facto investigators for the court, required to reveal sources of information they obtained only by...

Tony Blair's attack on the media and call for a tougher regulatory system for newspapers and broadcasters sparked a heated debate last night among editors and other key figures within the industry. The Prime Minister singled out The Independent for criticism when he devoted his last speech on domestic issues before he stands down on 27 June to the media, which he described as a "feral beast, just...

BOGOTA, Colombia, June 12 A reporter in Colombia for the Miami-based newspaper El Nuevo Herald has received death threats, The Miami Herald reported Tuesday. Gonzalo Guillen is being threatened by Colombian right-wing paramilitary groups, according to phone calls received by El Nuevo Herald warning of a plot to kill the journalist. "The office reiterates that the work of journalists ... is...

Five years after he led the investigation that nabbed the suspected terrorists behind the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, Randall Bennett is still haunted by the case. "It's the most memorable case I've worked on and the most intense, but is also the one biggest personal tragedy to me, because we didn't get Danny back," said Bennett, 55, a special agent with the...

ISLAMABAD, June 12: The Supreme Court on Tuesday summoned a journalist and warned him for publishing a news item suggesting initiation of references by the government against four senior judges who were part of the 13-member larger bench hearing the petition of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, and warned him to be careful in future. In its order, the Supreme Court said: “Muhammad Saleh...

The internet’s key players are “appalling” at protecting their users’ privacy – most pose a “substantial threat” to your confidentiality and not one is ‘privacy-friendly.’ After six months examining the policies and insider stories at over 20 Web portals, Privacy International added that only three – Wikipedia, eBay and the BBC - are ‘privacy aware.’ However the trio, like all the firms...

HACKENSACK, N.J. - The state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that news reporters waive their right to exercise the Shield Law - which protects confidential sources and information - when they share information with law enforcement investigating cases. The court unanimously ruled that Andrew Glazer, a former Bergen County Record reporter, gave up his protection by talking to detectives from the...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - A U.S. District Court judge ruled Wednesday that FBI agents did not use excessive force on Puerto Rican journalists who covered a raid last year on properties owned by an independence activist. U.S. District Court Judge Jose Fuste said in his ruling that courts have previously found that law enforcement officers ''may reasonably use force against members of a crowd...

As Bolivia undergoes massive political changes, its media is also going through tumultuous times. Bolivia's unstable political situation, widespread civil unrest, and weak rule of law present serious long-term threats to journalists amid the broader perspective of human rights. Observers see Bolivia’s current situation as a make or break situation for the Bolivian media, who seem to be the...

Reporters Without Borders voiced grave concern about death threats sent to Farida Nekzad, editor of Afghanistan’s sole independent news agency, Pajhwok. The worldwide press freedom organisation called on the authorities to track down those responsible for the threats. For several days, Farida Nekzad has been received phone calls and emails threatening her with the same fate as Zakia Zaki and...