Thursday, April 07, 2005

Reporter Released from Imprisonment

Reporter Jim Taricani of WJAR-TV has been subject to house arrest for the last four months, for contempt of court for failing to answer a judge's command regarding the source of his news report.

He was released yesterday according to this report from the NY Times. Be warned it probably contains errors or omissions and is almost certainly biased toward the left--since it WAS published in The NY Times.

There are so few reporters with principals now it is very heartening to see Mr. Taricani take the witness stand, refuse to testify based on his principles (and the fact that release of the information would have most likely endangered his source), be sentenced to house arrest and then serve out his term.

The TV station he works for has paid his legal fees and has continued to pay his salary while he has been prevented from actually working by the terms of his house arrest.

Now that's journalistic integrity where you least expect it - Television.

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