Press-freedom advocates are raising the alarm that the arrests of the Atmore News’s publisher and reporter is unconstitutional.
By Paul Farhi, The Washington PostA newspaper publisher and a reporter have been arrested for publishing an article that officials said was based on confidential grand-jury evidence - a move that press-freedom advocates are characterizing as an unconstitutional attack on the news media.
While it’s illegal for a grand juror, witness or court officer to disclose grand-jury proceedings, it’s not a crime for a media outlet to publish such leaked material, provided the material was obtained by legal means, legal experts said. Jane Kirtley, a professor of media ethics and law at the University of Minnesota, said the Atmore arrests follow a number of other recent cases in which local prosecutors have used warrants, threats and criminal proceedings to harass or pressure journalists.Such prosecutions can be costly, especially for small news organizations, she said.
The attorney, who represents both Digmon and Fletcher, didn’t respond to a request for comment. Nor did Billy. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a press-advocacy organization, called on local authorities to drop all charges against the newspaper, Digmon and Fletcher.
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