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Ohio authorities ignore Supreme Court to arrest journalist

2 years 10 months ago
Credit: MIKE

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An Ohio newspaper editor was charged with felony wiretapping for publishing audio that a source recorded during a high profile murder trial. In other words, he was arrested for practicing journalism.

The charges against Derek Myers of the Scioto Valley Guardian ignore the Supreme Court’s recognition over two decades ago that reporters are not to blame for unlawful recordings by sources. In fact, the issue has been settled since the Pentagon Papers. It’s up to judges, not journalists, to enforce courtroom confidentiality rules.

The ordeal should alarm all those who value press freedoms. Abuses of state and local law to target journalists are every bit as dangerous as abuses of the Espionage Act at the federal level but they often fly under the radar. Myers’ arrest is even more disturbing considering that the judge presiding over the murder trial, Randy Deering, may have harbored a personal grudge against Myers for successfully challenging his prior ban on filming witnesses.

The Guardian’s troubles did not end with Myers’ arrest. Another judge, Anthony Moraleja, approved a search warrant that led to the seizure of the laptop the Guardian had been using to livestream the trial and his cellphone was seized as well. As the Committee to Protect Journalists noted, the seizure — presumably intended to discover the source of the audio recording — ignores Ohio’s shield law and the federal Privacy Protection Act. In addition to violating Myers’ personal rights and preventing the Guardian from continuing its livestream, the warrant and seizure will surely have a chilling effect on sources who may have thought they could rely on the law to keep their identities secret.

That Myers could face prison time and property seizures notwithstanding Supreme Court precedent and supposed legal protections goes to show that journalists cannot depend on the law alone. It’s vital that judges and other local officials face a strong public backlash when they harass journalists and ignore press freedoms.

What we’re reading:

  • Settlement reached in suits over FBI posing as AP reporter: The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press settled lawsuits filed in reaction to an FBI agent posing as an AP reporter in 2007 to deliver surveillance software to a teenager suspected of a bomb threat. We commend RCFP and AP for holding the government accountable for this inexcusable practice.
  • Trump Keeps Musing About Journalists Being Raped in Prison — He’s Not Joking: Trump continued his disturbing rhetoric regarding the news media by again suggesting that authorities investigating leaks threaten reporters with prison time. “When the reporter learns he’s going to be married to a certain prisoner who’s extremely strong, tough, and mean, he will say, ‘you know, I think I’m going to give you the information.”. These kinds of threats from possible presidential hopefuls are precisely why Sen. Dick Durbin needs to push the PRESS Act through the Senate rather than leave journalists to rely on easily changeable DOJ policies.
  • State Dept. gives law enforcement, intelligence agencies unrestricted access to Americans' personal data: Sen. Ron Wyden sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding an explanation for the State Department’s granting access to law enforcement and intelligence agencies to personal data of Americans obtained from passport applications. We await Blinken’s answers regarding this disturbing development.
  • How America Turned Against the First Amendment: “Moderation laws. Book bans. Courts that keep getting played. America’s politicians are tired of the First Amendment getting in their way, and no one seems to care.” Well, some of us care, but a powerful argument nonetheless. We agree that politicians must stop preying on concerns about new technologies to try to confuse the public into rolling back long-established free speech protections.
Freedom of the Press Foundation

Car Is Engulfed In Flames Before Fire Department Arrival

2 years 10 months ago
GODFREY - The Godfrey Fire Department and Madison County Sheriff’s Office worked a car fire on River Road outside Alton around 5 p.m. on Thursday. The vehicle encountered major damage and was initially engulfed in flames, but firefighters did get the blaze extinguished. It appeared those in the car made it out safely. Traffic was backed up until the area could be cleared. More information to come.

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MoviePass Execs Charged With Securities Fraud

2 years 10 months ago
You’ll be shocked to learn that the same MoviePass executives that routinely misled investors (and once even covertly changed user passwords to try and keep them from using a service they paid for) are now in even more trouble for their dodgy business practices. According to an announcement by the DOJ, former MoviePass executives Theodore […]
Karl Bode

Viewpoint: United Way of Greater St. Louis and its partners play vital role in region's growth

2 years 10 months ago
More than ever, United Way of Greater St. Louis needs the continued commitment of our businesses, foundations and individuals to help support our journey toward a more inclusive, promising and sustainable St. Louis region, say Penny Pennington and Rusty Keeley, chair and co-chair, respectively, of its 2022 community campaign.
Penny Pennington, managing partner of Edward Jones, and Rusty Keeley, CEO of Keeley Cos.

Ardent Mills Is Major Business For Alton and Riverbend

2 years 10 months ago
ALTON - Some say it is the backbone of Alton. It welcomes you when you make the left turn from Clark Bridge into the city. It welcomes you when you enter Alton from the Great River Road. It towers at the bottom of State Street. The giant wheat silo emblazoned with the American flag bids one and all a hearty welcome to a hard-working river town. When asked where he works, plant manager Andrew Powell says, “Oh, the building with the big American flag.” The mill, now operated by Ardent Mills in Alton, has been a major feature to the Riverbend community. A lot of the flour that Ardent produces gets distributed locally around the Alton and greater St. Louis area. Dominos, Panera, Shearers, and Fazio’s are just some of the customers that Ardent Mills supplies. The wheat that is milled in Alton comes from all around the Midwest and Plains states. It is transported to Alton from across Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, and the Dakotas, to name a few of the states. There are

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