July 5, 2005

 

GUILD GATHERING TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY)

 

IN FRONT OF N.Y. TIMES

TO SUPPORT A FREE PRESS

Members of the Newspaper Guild of New York will be gathering in front of the New York Times building at 229 West 43rd Street, around the corner from Times Square, from 1 to 2 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, July 6, to show support for Times reporter and Guild member Judith Miller, The Times, and Matthew Cooper of Time Magazine.

The Guild urges everyone to stand for two minutes of silence at noon on the same date to show solidarity, one minute each for Miller and Cooper. Similar demonstrations will be held by news industry workers throughout the country.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal of the contempt citation imposed by a lower court on the two reporters, who refused to reveal their sources to federal investigators in the Valerie Plame case.

The Guild believes that what is at stake is a free press.

Judy Miller faces almost certain time behind bars for her steadfast refusal to reveal the identity of her confidential source. Cooper, who also continues to refuse to reveal his informant, may have been spared jail time because his employer, Time Inc., has agreed to comply with a court order to turn over his notes to investigators.

The observance Wednesday is designed to spotlight Miller’s and Cooper’s important stands and to underscore the need for a National Shield Law, which would guarantee members of the media the right to keep their sources confidential.

We urge any Guild members, who can take their lunch breaks between 1 and 2 p.m. or who are otherwise off the clock, to attend this demonstration.

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07/05/05