Newspaper Withholding Two Articles after Jailing

[lonestarnot]

email to me:

The editor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer said last night that the newspaper, acting on the advice of its lawyers, was withholding publication of two major investigative articles because they were based on illegally leaked documents and could lead to penalties against the paper and the jailing of reporters.

Mr. Clifton declined to provide details about the two investigative articles being withheld, but he characterized them as "profoundly important," adding, "They would have been of significant interest to the public." Asked if they might be published at some later date, he said, "Not in the short term."

[e-mail]

[e-mail] (for Cleveland Plain Dealer LTE’s)



Anne Lindsay (NC)

[Up2Late]

1. You need to give us more info than that for us to know...

...what the hell you're talking about.

Are you the author? What are they about (generally) etc.

[lonestarnot]

2. No clue what they are about was in an email, but the fact that anything

is being WITHHELD is not good news!

[edhopper]

3. Here's a link

hat explains it
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000976374

It didn't take long for the Cooper/Miller ruling to have a chilling effect on the media.

[Garbo 2004]

9. I don't see how the Cooper/Miller ruling changed anything since reporters

have previously spent time in jail or house arrest for refusing to turn over sources and info. Of course they weren't stars with the NYT or Time mag, but, for example, a local TV reporter (2004) http://www.rcfp.org/news/2005/0412-con-televi.html and a freelance writer author (2001) http://www.rcfp.org/leggett.html .


Did Abrams (referenced in post below) when he appeared on TV address how the Cooper/Miller ruling specifically has changed anything in regards to courts using contempt of court charges to try to coerce reporters to testify? I just don't see it.

[lonestarnot]

10. I would say that if the Judge in the Cooper Miller matter reads this,

these people are going to also be called in, like it or not, these people have already put themselves on the hot seat! And good luck!

[dave502d]

4. I would think these Articles would not cause someone to die.

So print the story's.

[Bozita]

5. Made the national evening news tonight (ABC or CBS)

I was flipping between the two and can't remember which one carried it.

They interviewed Floyd Abrams. He said that this was only the first. Many more to come.

[Timshel]

6. here's more info about the issue and some more contact info as well

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050709/ap_on_re_us/newspap...

"The Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest newspaper, is holding two investigative stories based on leaked documents because they could result in the type of court showdown that led to a New York Times reporter being jailed.

The Plain Dealer is trying to find a way to publish the stories without relying on the documents, editor Doug Clifton said Friday.

"It was documentation that would have been illegal to share, so there wasn't any ambiguity about what we had," Clifton said......"
<snip>
"The stories dealt with local and state government. Clifton told The New York Times in Saturday's edition that "the material was under seal or something along those lines."



This is big, in so many ways! Who knows what these stories are about (maybe election 2004 or Coingate!), but regardless we need to remind them of their job as the public's watchdog!


Douglas C. Clifton
Editor
Phone: [phone]
[e-mail]

Managing Editor
Tom O'Hara
[e-mail]
216.999.4737

Alex Machaskee
President and Publisher
216.999.4217
[e-mail]

Robert M. Long
Executive Vice President
216.999.4386
[e-mail]

[lonestarnot]

11. Ewwwww I knew it! Thanks for the info!

[jsamuel]

7. Hasn't the crime already been commited whether ornot they publish thestory

i don't think this case is a "crime" like the other one is anyway

[lonestarnot]

12. Withholding evidence!

x(

[jsamuel]

8. I sent this to them: I think you should publish, here is why

I am not a lawyer, but PLEASE read this.





If any crime was committed, it has already happened. There is nothing you can do about it now. You should publish the story because no matter whether you do or not, the leak has already happened. Ms. Miller is not under investigation because she published the story, only because she is a witness to a crime involving National Security.



She didn’t even publish the story, so your publishing the stories does not change anything. Plus, I encourage you to care more about the country and the state of Ohio than yourself. That is a lot to ask, but I believe that is what I would do in your situation. Jesus defied the Pharisees and died for it, but his sacrifice has caused so many people to find God.



Thank you for reading and have courage,

[lonestarnot]

13. Yes Courage people courage! Stop shakin' in your boots and cough it

up!