PAN Blog

A federal judge today jailed a New York Times reporter for not revealing her sources for a story she was writing about the Bush administration's leak of an under cover CIA operative's name. (The story never made it to print)

Reporter Judith Miller refused to cooperate today in court and was immediately placed into custody. She's to stay there until she complies with the court's order, or is given permission by the source to reveal his or her identity.

Which may never happen. "Outing" an undercover agent is a felony under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. So that person may not be very motivated to do Judy "a solid."

The New York Times' executive editor Bill Keller defended Judith's actions in the statement below:

Times Statement
July 6, 2005

Statement From Arthur Sulzberger Jr., chairman of The New York Times Company and publisher of The New York Times

"There are times when the greater good of our democracy demands an act of conscience. Judy has chosen such an act in honoring her promise of confidentiality to her sources. She believes, as do we, that the free flow of information is critical to an informed citizenry.

"It has been more than 25 years since Myron Farber, a Times reporter, was jailed and The Times was fined for refusing to provide the names of confidential sources. Subsequently, Mr. Farber and The Times were pardoned and the fines were returned. The case prompted many states to enact shield laws to protect journalists and to help ensure that the public receives information so important in a democracy. I sincerely hope that now Congress will move forward on federal shield legislation so that other journalists will not have to face imprisonment for doing their jobs.

"In the days, weeks and months ahead, The New York Times Company will do all that we can to ensure Judy's safety and continue to fight for the principles that led her to make a most difficult and honorable choice."

Source: The New York Times

So what do you think? Does Judith give up the source in the name of National Security? Or does she keep the source confidential and make a First Amendment stand?

No, we don't mean Zillow-type mashups that are all AJAXed-out with super high-resolution, spy-satellite photos of perfectly manicured lawns. New PAN client HomeGift Realty is a unique mashup of business ideas, practices and charitable giving which puts a new twist on an old business model and adds a very human element to the mix.

The company was started by a couple of guys with backgrounds that couldn't be more diverse. One is a career entrepreneur in real estate and financial services; the other dedicated his life to non-profit organizations. Both share a common believe in giving back. They put their heads together to find a way to create "triple win" situation using little known secrets within the real estate business.

Here's how they describe what HomeGift does:

"We impartially help consumers select the right agent, which often translates into getting the best price. We arrange for home buyers and sellers to get something back when they choose a real estate agent through one of our programs — a rebate on real estate commissions. And then we encourage participants to share some or all of that rebate with their favorite charity."

It sounds easier than it really is, but HomeGift has it sorted out. Check out the blog they recently launched at www.littlepinkhouses.com. If you're considering a home purchase, have recently bought a house or have even a passing interest in RE then you'll get some very interesting insight from the LPH blog, like this post, which explains hidden rebates consumers are rarely made aware of, but are starting to come to light as more RE transactions are initiated and handled through the Web.

Not sure if I am just behind the eight ball on this or if not many people know about it, but Google has a public policy blog. Go figure! It's pretty good reading. I suppose a company of its size and stature must be involved in policy, but kudos to them anyway.