(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has expressed concern over a federal judge’s threat to imprison journalist Jim Taricani, of the Providence (Rhode Island) NBC television station WJAR-TV, for up to six months if he refuses to reveal, by 18 November 2004, the identity of the individual who gave him a secret Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) videotape […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has expressed concern over a federal judge’s threat to imprison journalist Jim Taricani, of the Providence (Rhode Island) NBC television station WJAR-TV, for up to six months if he refuses to reveal, by 18 November 2004, the identity of the individual who gave him a secret Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) videotape made during a corruption inquiry.
“If journalists [are forced] to reveal their confidential sources, nobody will risk telling them anything,” RSF said. “Source confidentiality is at the heart of freedom of expression and we hope the judge will not carry out his threat.”
“The fine of more than [US] $75,000 imposed on Taricani will clearly discourage journalists from publishing sensitive information despite its possible value to the public and society,” RSF said.
On 12 August, Federal Judge Ernest C. Torres ordered Taricani to pay a rolling fine of US$1,000 a day, which amounted to more than US$75,000 before the judge cancelled the fine on 4 November, rejecting the prosecution’s call for the fine to be doubled. The judge then gave Taricani 14 days to reveal his source, after which he would be found guilty of contempt of court, which would be considered a criminal offence and as such punishable by up to six months in prison.
Taricani refuses to tell the court who gave him the tape, which was broadcast on 1 February. The tape shows a former Rhode Island senior state official taking a bribe from an FBI informant.
In October, another judge ordered the jailing of “Time” magazine reporter Matthew Cooper and “The New York Times” reporter Judith Miller for refusing to say who illegally revealed to them the name of a CIA agent (see IFEX alerts of 14 and 8 October, 13 and 11 August and 26 May 2004). Cooper was also fined US$1,000 a day for the following 18 months or until he revealed his source. Both journalists have appealed, leading to the automatic suspension of their sentences.
