On Thurs., Jul. 17, at 7:00 p.m., a public discussion of the First Amendment protection of reporters at Tacoma's King's Books will feature News Tribune executive editor Dave Zeeck and attorney Eric Stahl of David Wright Tremaine in Seattle.[1] ...

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WHAT:  Talk on 'reporter's privilege,' or 'reporter shield law'
WHO:  David Zeeck and Eric Stahl
WHEN:  Thursday, July 17, 2008 -- 7:00 p.m.
WHERE:  King's Books, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402

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[From Colleen Waterhouse, chair of the Pierce County chapter of the ACLU]

July 17 * 7:00 p.m. Talk on Reporter's Privilege with David Zeeck and Eric Stahl

Join us for a talk about Freedom of the Press. Reporter's Privilege, also called reporter shield law, is the right of journalists not to be compelled to testify or disclose sources and information in court. In the last decade, this right has become increasingly under fire. From Watergate and the Pentagon Papers to Iran-Contra and Abu Ghraib, journalists have used information from confidential sources to reveal illegal conduct by our government. Although the first amendment protects the Freedom of the Press there is no national shield law, leaving interpretation open state by state. The event is co-sponsored by American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expresssion (ABFFE), the bookseller's voice in the fight against censorship, and the Media Law Resource Center Institute (MLRC), a nonprofit educational organization focused on the media and the First Amendment.

David Zeeck has been executive editor of the News Tribune since 1994. Before that, he worked 20 years at the Kansas City Star from a reporter to executive editor. Zeeck is active in several national journalism organizations and past president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

Eric Stahl is a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine law firm in Seattle. He focuses on media and copyright law and regularly advises media outlets on defamation, right of publicity and privacy torts, protection of intellectual property, and other content-related issues.

King's Books
218 St. Helens Ave
Tacoma, WA 98402
toll free: 877.529.9525
or local: 253.272.8801
fax: 253.272.2022
www.kingsbookstore.com