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| Pruitt (Nat'l Press Club photo) |
The Department of Justice's seizure of Associated Press
phone records has made it tougher for reporters to do their jobs, AP President
and CEO Gary Pruitt said Wednesday, June 19 at a National Press Club luncheon.
Pruitt called for new Justice Department guidelines that
include protections for journalists' email and text messages, and a federal
shield law "with teeth."
The Justice Department's seizure unsettled sources and
chilled reporting, he said.
"Some longtime trusted sources have become nervous and
anxious about talking with us -- even on stories unrelated to national
security," Pruitt said. "Others are reluctant to meet in person. In
one instance, our journalists could not get a law enforcement official to
confirm a detail that had been reported elsewhere."
AP is not the only media to suffer, he said.
"Journalists from other news organizations have
personally told me that has intimidated both official and non-official sources
speaking to them as well," Pruitt said.
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