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Kevblog note: I am posting this with the encouragement of Star Tribune reporter Steve Brandt to help get the word out about the plight of Wally Wakefield, a Twin Cities reporter being run through the legal wringer at tremendous cost because of his insistence on maintaining his pledge of anonymity.
Free Wally
Standing up for one of our own
Posted 12:37 p.m., April 19, 2004
It's time to stand up for journalism in Minnesota. One of our own is standing up to the judicial system and we need to step in to make sure he's not crushed. Wally Wakefield may be just a part time sports columnist for a suburban paper, but the 73-year-old retired grade-school teacher is defending an important principle-the ability of a reporter to protect confidential sources. He's been under the threat of a court order since late 2001.
A $200 per day contempt of court fine for not turning over his sources was imposed on April 12, and continues through a July 19 trial date. His potential exposure for defending our principles is $18,000 to $19,000.
We're trying to build a network of people and organizations that will stand up for Wally with their names and their checkbooks.
You can help by contributing your name and your money.
Or you can mail your contribution to:
The Wally Wakefield Defense Fund
P.O. Box 8115
Minneapolis, MN 55408Please make out checks to The Wally Wakefield Defense Fund. Contributions will pay Wally's fine.
Alternately, you can give a check to the StarTribune's Steve Brandt or Randy Furst, who are organizing the effort on behalf of Wally Wakefield.
Please forward any contacts you have in newsrooms and other likely places of support to Steve Brandt sbrandt@startribune.com or Randy Furst rfurst@startribune.com.
Some background
Wally writes for a Twin Cities newspaper chain, Lillie Suburban Newspapers. In 1997, he contributed to a story in the Maplewood Review about why the football coach at Tartan high school in Oakdale had been fired.
Wally obtained some of his information from sources to whom he had promised confidentiality. The coach sued the school district and several of its employees, but not the newspaper. But the coach's attorney asked that Wakefield be ordered to divulge his sources and he refused. The case has been to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Many news outlets and organizations joined filed briefs on Wally's behalf. But the court ruled 5-2 that the reporter shield law doesn't protect sources in a defamation case. So now Wally faces a crushing fine.
Your help is crucial.
Hear it in Wally's own words. Twin Cities TPT public television last week aired an interview with Wally Wakefield. It can be heard through streaming video at this TPT.org Web page. You'll find it under "Just Saying No" about midway down the page.
Copyright 2004, by Kevin Featherly
