ST supports it reporters?

My only comment to this.

Yea, riiiiight! I so believe you. With the Mainstream media in the pockets of the gahmen, you think they'll still "back reporters who do not reveal sources" if the gahmen breaths down their necks?


Today 28 June 2007


SOURCE OF SUPPORT
-----------------
ST says it will back reporters who do not reveal sources

Ansley Ng
ansley@mediacorp.com.sg

THE Straits Times would have given full support to the reporter who
revealed his source to a court even if the journalist had decided not to
obey the court order and risk going to prison, the newspaper's editor Han
Fook Kwang told media professionals last night.

"If he decides not to disclose the source and will face the full
consequence of the court, we will support him, " said Mr Han at a
Singapore Press Club event. "We will support him legally, financially and
professionally. I think it is a reasonable position for any newspaper to
take."

Mr Han was referring to ST reporter Arthur Poon, who was ordered by a
court to reveal a source in a story last November. Mr Poon, together with
The Business Times reporter Wee Li-En and Reuters reporter Mia Shanley,
was served court papers by two rival broking firms for revealing
confidential information involving the sum of an out-of-court settlement.

After initially resisting, the ST and BT reporters disclosed their
respective sources to the High Court, with both pointed to Huntington
Communications, a public relations firm acting for one of the broking
company.

Ms Shanley, however, held on. At a court hearing on May 17, High Court
judge Justice Andrew Ang agreed with the broking firm's lawyers and
ordered Ms Shanley to reveal her source. The reporter appealed to the
Court of Appeal - Singapore's highest court - but was ordered to reveal
her source. She did so only after her source gave her permission.

In an ST report on the case in late May, Mr Han was quoted as saying: "It
has been our long-standing policy that we will not disclose until we are
compelled to do so by the court and we have no further recourse.
We
fought all the way until the court ordered us to disclose our sources."

At the talk last night, Mr Han said that despite the "setback", ST would
continue to "vigorously resist" attempts to make its reporters reveal
their sources.

Other speakers at last night's forum included senior lawyer Peter Low,
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) media academic Dr Ang Peng Hwa and
ST's former editor-in-chief, Mr Peter Lim.

Speaking to an audience made up mostly of journalism and public relations
professionals, the four men provided different views on the issue of
source confidentiality from the legal and journalistic perspective. Citing
examples in countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United
States, Mr Low said that cases in these countries were generally not
treated differently from what a Singaporean court would do.

"The court has the discretion on whether or not to make the reporter
disclose the source of the information," he said.

The kind of confidentiality a journalist has with his source is like the
one shared by doctors with their patients, or lawyers with their clients,
said Dr Ang, Dean of NTU's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and
Information. "The journalistic privilege is not an absolute right; it is a
balance" he added.

Veteran newsman Mr Lim, who headed ST for about 20 years, echoed Mr Han's
points when asked by a member of the audience what advice he would have
given Mr Poon had he been in charge. "As the editor, I can't offer to go
to jail for him," he said. "It's up to you. If you go to jail, we'll look
after you."