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Monday, June 24, 2013

AP CEO Calls For JOD Guidelines To Protect Journalists

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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