'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

[Scottdau]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

Funny, I don't remember mentioning Bonds in my post...

Anyway, this has to do with the government (grand jury) not being able to keep control of their own operation and then going after these guys as scapegoats. If the press were to reveal their sources, it would undermine EVERYTHING about freedom of press. Yes, I agree, grand jury testimony is confidential. However, jailing reporters when the problem is in your own house is like picking your nose when you should be wiping your A**!

Good for these guys not revealing their source.

I agree with that lol, but a Law is Law. So I find it funny that these guys made so much money on the book now has to pay some time in Prison!

[Scottdau]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

Funny, I don't remember mentioning Bonds in my post...

Anyway, this has to do with the government (grand jury) not being able to keep control of their own operation and then going after these guys as scapegoats. If the press were to reveal their sources, it would undermine EVERYTHING about freedom of press. Yes, I agree, grand jury testimony is confidential. However, jailing reporters when the problem is in your own house is like picking your nose when you should be wiping your A**!

Good for these guys not revealing their source.

True, but these guys made money off those leaks so that is wrong. In my eyes!

[SPTO]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

I'm going to choose my words very carefully here:

These guys were put in jail because they wouldn't reveal sources. This is the same fate that befell newspaper collumnist Judith Miller over the Valerie Plame affair. (if you must know about it just search it on wikipedia) For over 50 or so years sources were a priviledged right of newspaper writers and it's a slippery slope to a controlled media when writers are being thrown in jail because they won't reveal priviledged information.

If this was a run of the mill case about some God forsaken man that no one cares about then we wouldn't be demanding these writers to share their sources. We shouldn't make exceptions because they make government uneasy or inflame gossipping over a alleged steroids abuser like Bonds.

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

I see both sides of the argument in a case such as this.

I do believe freedom of the press is important but at the same time Fainaru-Wade and Williams broke the law. Nobody should be above the law.

What can make matters even more confusing is that congress is debating a bill that would protect journalists working on important stories. Of course what constitutes an important story is in the eye of the beholder.

[SPTO]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

I see both sides of the argument in a case such as this.

I do believe freedom of the press is important but at the same time Fainaru-Wade and Williams broke the law. Nobody should be above the law.

Yes well, I hate to break it to you but 90% of hard news requires some bending of the law from that perspective.

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

Let me add those 2 reporters have spoken out about how important freedom of the press is. If they wanted they could have simply put the Bonds story in the newspaper and left it there. They went a step further to write a book and profit off of it.

Good riddance.

[Skerik]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

I don't have too much sympathy for Williams and Fainaru-Wada. Whoever leaked them the testimony, thereby breaking the law, should have known that at some point in this investigation someone would ask Williams and Fainaru-Wada how they obtained the testimony. If I broke the law by leaking grand jury testimony to a few reporters, I wouldn't expect them to fall on their swords for me and do hard time to protect me.

Williams and Fainaru-Wada are trying to turn this into a hyperbolic case of loss of a free press, saying that nobody will talk to reporters any more and that they were just doing their jobs. That's of course ridiculous, since reporters break many stories legally without having to reveal their sources. However, if you have to break the law to "do your job," then you should accept the risks associated with breaking the law. If they don't cough up their source(s), then they can do the time.

[Stu]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

Let me add those 2 reporters have spoken out about how important freedom of the press is. If they wanted they could have simply put the Bonds story in the newspaper and left it there. They went a step further to write a book and profit off of it.

Good riddance.

There is far too much material to simply put in a newspaper story. I think they probably felt to do it justice, they needed to write a book. Obviously they benefited from it as well, but that's how they earn a living so you can't really criticize them for that.

[Knight165]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

I'm going to choose my words very carefully here:

These guys were put in jail because they wouldn't reveal sources. This is the same fate that befell newspaper collumnist Judith Miller over the Valerie Plame affair. (if you must know about it just search it on wikipedia) For over 50 or so years sources were a priviledged right of newspaper writers and it's a slippery slope to a controlled media when writers are being thrown in jail because they won't reveal priviledged information.

If this was a run of the mill case about some God forsaken man that no one cares about then we wouldn't be demanding these writers to share their sources. We shouldn't make exceptions because they make government uneasy or inflame gossipping over a alleged steroids abuser like Bonds.

Let's be honest here....if it was a run of the mill case about some God forsaken man that no one cares about....these two WOULDN'T have written the story. Don't make it seem like these guys care about anything except money and publicity.

M.K.
Knight165

[GBrushTWood]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

I'm glad these weenies will get thrown in PMITA prison.

I'm willing to bet they'll be talking real quickly after they share a cell with Jerome and Jamal for an evening or two.

In the end though, they were just pawns used by the government to spread the story of steroid abuse. The government seemingly knew they couldn't convict Bonds on anything steroid related, so they did the next best thing: destroy his character and reputation by having somebody leak the testimony to these two reporters. These two assclowns should have known that publishing confidential testimony is illegal.

Both of the reporters like to talk about freedom of the press and information, but what about the rights of those called to testify in front of the grand jury not to have what they say repeated to the entire country? Bonds, Giambi, and all the other cheaters are certainly no angels and deserve none of our sympathy, but the law does not take such things into account. I believe it is more important for sealed testimony to remain that way in this country than for the public to know.

[mvb34]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

There is far too much material to simply put in a newspaper story. I think they probably felt to do it justice, they needed to write a book. Obviously they benefited from it as well, but that's how they earn a living so you can't really criticize them for that.

They earn there living by getting paid by there newspaper right?
They could easily have this story full blown for there newspaper but no they decided to make some cash on the side.

[Stu]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

They earn there living by getting paid by there newspaper right?
They could easily have this story full blown for there newspaper but no they decided to make some cash on the side.

Who cares. Journalists write books all the time. They're writers. This is what they do. It's not like breaking the news in the paper would have made it any more legal.

[Scottdau]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

There is far too much material to simply put in a newspaper story. I think they probably felt to do it justice, they needed to write a book. Obviously they benefited from it as well, but that's how they earn a living so you can't really criticize them for that.

Yeah I am sure the money meant nothing lol.

[GBrushTWood]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

Who cares. Journalists write books all the time. They're writers. This is what they do. It's not like breaking the news in the paper would have made it any more legal.

For the record, writing about the confidential testimony they obtained is legal. Fainaru-Wada and Williams did not leak the information, they were the recipients of it. It is not illegal (though it's up for ethical debate) to write a story on this, and to profit.

The reason they are getting sent to be cornholed is because they refuse to tell the truth under oath in a courtroom. A prosecutor is asking them a question under oath, and by law, they are required to answer the question. Because they choose not to, the judge in the case has no choice but to order them in contempt of court and to throw them in jail. There really is no decision to be made here for the judge. It doesn't matter that they did something for the greater good or that their motives are "pure".

Just wanted to make that clarification. I hope whoever leaked the info to these 2 is revealed one day -- what a damn coward.

[SPTO]

Re: 'Game of Shadows' Writers Sentenced to Maximum 2 Years

Let's be honest here....if it was a run of the mill case about some God forsaken man that no one cares about....these two WOULDN'T have written the story. Don't make it seem like these guys care about anything except money and publicity.

M.K.
Knight165

I guess the same could be said for Woodward and Bernstein and they did the US a public service by basically destroying the Nixon White House.

Just wanted to make that clarification. I hope whoever leaked the info to these 2 is revealed one day -- what a damn coward.

Just like Deepthroat eh?

BTW if folks are going to defend Woodward and Bernstein saying that it's not apples to apples then remember this fact. After the series of articles and Nixon left office they both wrote a book about the investigation. They both (or at least Woodward) accepted and helped in making the film ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN.