Secret courts to seize reporters' notebooks?
Just in case you missed it over the weekend, the UK Government are considering making it possible to seize reporters’ notebooks and hard-drives, after secret hearings…
The Deregulation Bill is coming before the UK House of Commons on Monday, and among its many “red-tape-cutting” provisions is one that would allow the courts to grant the police secret hearings in which they could secure orders to seize reporters’ notebooks, hard-drives and other confidential material. No one representing the reporters would be allowed to see the evidence in these “closed material procedures.”
This is a profoundly worrying attack on journalists’ ability to protect their sources – and the fact that secret hearings are involved is even more troubling. This will have a major impact on the ability of investigative journalists to do their work – and on the willingness of whistle-blowers to come forwards.
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Some Good Reading About The Future of News Paid Members Public
Good stuff I’ve read recently, haven’t linked to yet, but don’t have much to add to right now: * The Nichepaper Manifesto [http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/haque/2009/07/the_nichepaper_manifesto.html] – an articulate and well argued guide to how niche publishing might looks going forwards. * Media