Cook County Circuit Court Rules in Chicago Media Case - 2011-09-19

The Chicago Headline Club has taken issue with a ruling that Northwestern University journalism students are not covered by the Illinois Reporter’s Privilege Act in their investigation of a murder conviction.

A Cook County Circuit Court ruling on Sept. 7 that Northwestern must turn over to the State’s Attorney’s office about 500 e-mails that Medill School of Journalism students exchanged with former Innocence Project director David Protess. The e-mails were related to a case the students were asked to research by Northwestern's Center for Wrongful Convictions a 30-year-old murder in Harvey in which Anthony McKinney may have been wrongfully convicted.

The judge in the Sept. 7 ruling held that the state law covers student journalists, but not those acting as investigators in a criminal case. The Headline Club strongly disagrees with this and has communicated to its member body of journalists throughout Illinois. For more, see the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune.