US judge fines website editor $300 a day over refusal to reveal sources

 

It is open season on US journalists and their sources nowadays. An Illinois judge has fined a news website $300 a day because its editor refuses to reveal his sources.
Joseph Hosey, who edits the hyperlocal news site Orland Park Patch, has been ordered to pay a fine of $1,000, costs and $300 per day from 29 August up to 180 days. After that period, he faces jail.
The judge ruled that Hosey was in "minor direct criminal contempt" for not giving up the police reports he obtained about the circumstances of a double murder in January 2013 (see here) and revealing the source of those documents.
Hosey's lawyer, Kenneth Schmetterer, immediately announced an appeal and the fines were stayed pending that appeal.
Schmetterer said after the hearing: "Illinois courts have upheld the shield law to protect reporters precisely from having to divulge confidential sources because of the chilling effect it can have on the important work reporters can do.
"That's a principle that's established and recognised by appellate courts and the Illinois supreme court by the statute, and that's why we're going to vigorously press forward with our appeal."
Orland Park Patch is part of the Patch Media network of news sites across 23 US states. It is owned by AOL.
Sources: Orland Park Patch Hat tip: TechDirt

Instead of Social Media Hurting You at Work, Work on Social Websites Daily

By Courtney Amberik                                               

Employees’ ethics are directly related to social media.  Active social networkers have become less ethical in the workplace as opposed to those who steer clear of social media websites.  Creating your own company and using affiliate marketing may be the active social networker’s ideal job.
            According to Yahoo! News, a new study shows that ethics are currently lacking in the workplace over the past two years.  Social media has been connected to this.  As workers spend more of their time on social media sites, their ethical behavior has slowly turned negative.
“In addition, active users of social networks are much more likely to accept behaviors that have traditionally been considered questionable, such as keeping copies of confidential work documents for use in a future job, personal use of the company credit card and taking home company software.”
            Employees who do not use social media are less likely to experience pressure to compromise standards than those who do.  People are more accustomed to sharing information that was never available before, thanks to the social media sites.
            Instead of worrying about being fired for glancing at your social webpage while at work, why not work on social media sites as your job?  By using affiliate marketing, you can be on social media websites whenever you please.
There are multiple websites that allow you to create your own site, and they help you market your products or services all over the Internet.  These programs guide you step by step on how to create an organized, useful website for people to navigate through.
There are online training programs to ensure that you understand what you are doing.  Users are given personal training instructions depending on the specific needs of their business.  Each business is different, and these programs want to help you create the best website possible for your personal needs.  Novice Internet users as well as seasoned navigators are encouraged to sign up for these website programs.
The highly educated staff members will give directions on how to best create your website while showing examples.  This way, users can learn as they do it.  Learning this way is proven to be one of the best ways to understand information.  Once your website is up and running, the affiliate marketing programs will take over and give your company all the publicity it needs.
Affiliate marketing programs use blogs, social media websites, email, banners, and pay-per-click programs.  Pay-per-click campaigns will earn you money every time someone clicks on your advertisement.
Affiliate marketing allows you to earn money even while you are not working.  Instead of being tattled upon in the workplace, try your hand at creating your own company and website.  The affiliate marketing programs will help do the rest!