Indiana prosecutor flouts shield law in pursuit of reporter’s notes in murder investigation

An Indiana reporter was ordered to testify and surrender interview notes about a story she wrote in March on a murder investigation. Her employer, The Elkhart Truth, is fighting the order. Indiana has a strong shield law for journalists stipulating that they should not be forced to testify about their sources.  (The Elkhart Truth, April 14, 2015, by Michelle Sokol)

NewsGuild president Bernie Lunzer said it was improper for the prosecuting attorney to subpoena Emily Pfund’s testimony and notes about an interview with an inmate Freddie Rhodes who claimed that he was interrogated under some stress while suffering from an untreated concussion and broken nose. Lunzer wrote in a letter to the prosecutor, “…your pursuit of Ms. Pfund suggests a chilling attempt to punish her and the newspaper for publishing Mr. Rhodes’ charges, and to silence further such reporting. And it is not just the journalists’ First Amendment rights that are at stake. Your community has a fundamental right to know what its elected and appointed officials are doing, as well as the right and responsibility to hold those officials accountable.” (Romenesko, April 10, 2015)