SPJ calls for release of Josh Wolf

In Upset, Nashville Editor Elected SPJ President

August 28, 2006

In an upset in what's believed to be the first contested election in the history of the nation's largest journalists organization, Clint Brewer -- the executive editor of the free daily City Paper in Nashville, Tenn. -- was narrowly elected president of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) at its convention in Chicago Saturday.

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SPJ also called for the release of freelance video journalist Joshua Wolf, who has been imprisoned on contempt charges since Aug. 1 for refusing to hand over video of a demonstration. "This action is a chilling step toward negating all state shield laws, allowing federal prosecutors to use the most negligible of ties to federal money to override the protections contained in these laws, thus silencing sources and threatening to convert all journalists into arms of law enforcement," the resolution reads in part.

Another resolution supported San Franciso Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams in their appeal of an order to hand over information gathered in their investigation of steroid use by professional athletes.

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