Judge Tells Newspapers They Can't Report On News About College Trip Since It Might Impact College Funding

from the that-whole-first-amendment-thing dept

Tue, May 25th 2010 1:20pm — Mike Masnick

Via Romenesko we learn that a judge in Wyoming has issued a temporary restraining order against two local newspapers, barring them from reporting about a trip by the local community college's president to Costa Rica, saying that the report was stolen... and that publishing the info could cause the college to lose federal funding. At issue is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which prevents colleges from revealing private info about students (a good thing). But here it's clearly being misused. Yes, the report may include some student info, but that should not, in any way, bar publishing a story about what happened. Furthermore, that the document was leaked shouldn't bar publication either. If that were the case, there would never be any whistleblower stories out there, or stories like the one about the Pentagon Papers. Update: Well, that didn't last long. The original order has been dissolved, though this now has helped bring much more attention to the original story.

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Filed Under: college, first amendment, free speech, journalism, privacy, reporting, whistleblowing, wyoming

10 Comments

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JJ (profile), 25 May 2010 @ 1:36pm

This is where they should respond the way British newspapers do: publish a story about how they were blocked from publishing a story about the issue.
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Sage (profile), 25 May 2010 @ 1:45pm

Exactly how is this not a clear violation of freedom of the press?
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Anonymous Coward, 25 May 2010 @ 1:46pm

Re:
well if that it aint the dogs balls..
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bob, 25 May 2010 @ 1:55pm

Order Vacated
The order was vacated by a fed judge.

http://cbs4denver.com/wireapnewswy/Judge.dissolves.order.2.1712784.html

Can't wait to see what's in the report.
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Any Mouse, 25 May 2010 @ 2:34pm

Re: Order Vacated
Actually, the judge dissolving the order is the same judge who put the order in place.
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Murdock (profile), 25 May 2010 @ 2:57pm

I would have never read this report...
But you can bet I'm going to now.
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 25 May 2010 @ 3:54pm

I'd like to read the report as well.
Of course, you have to wait until tomorrow...
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Pickle Monger (profile), 25 May 2010 @ 4:25pm

The proverbial rake
Long live the Streisand Effect...
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 25 May 2010 @ 6:01pm

Re:
Wasn't there already a case where a restraining order also prevented the target from saying anything about the restraining order? Wasn't it in the UK?
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TtfnJohn (profile), 26 May 2010 @ 9:33am

No Wonder They Wanted This Supressed
Well, Streisand Effect notwithstanding, after reading the report I can see why the college wanted this suppressed. Someone comes off here just barely this side of an incompetent goofus. The story had/has legs anyway even without this foolishness. Now it can outrun Ussain Bolt!
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