PRESS RIGHTS UNIT FORMED BY REPORTERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000400290008-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 9, 2004
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: March 9, 1970
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON STAR
Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : ClA-RDP88-01315F000400290008-2
9 MAR 1970 _y-
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Press Rights
Unit Formed
By Reporters
By United Peas international
A group of reporters has
formed a committee to counter
what it calls "government
threats to freedom of the press."
The group will furnish legal
advice to reporters faced with
subpoenas by government agen-
cies seeking disclosure of confi-
dential information and news
sources. And it will sponsor a
study of reporters' rights. , i
Thirty-five Washington-based
reporters . attended the first,
meeting yesterday of the group,
,called the Reporter's Committee
on Freedom of the Press, at
Georgetown University.
In a statement, the reporters
said court-ordered testimony
from newsmen, especially about
such groups as the Black Pan-
thers and Students for a Demo-
cratic Society, has destroyed the
trust of many news sources.
Reporters recently became
concerned about the issue when
the Justice Department said it
would ask courts to issue sub-
poenas without prior notice for
the notes of newsmen who had
written stories on the Black
Panthers.
Atty. Gen. John N. Mitchell
later apologized for the action
and said the department would
return to its earlier policy of
negotiating with reporters be-
fore asking for information.
?rt,ttul,. II it St, its,,.
Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000400290008-2