[Media-watch] Judge sides with [US] Gov over Press Access - Guardian - 14/02/2005

[Julie-ann Davies]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-4799932,00.html

Judge Sides With Gov. Over Press Access

Monday February 14, 2005 8:31 PM


By WILEY HALL

Associated Press Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) - A federal judge ruled Monday that Gov. Robert Ehrlich can 
freeze out two reporters from The (Baltimore) Sun by barring all state 
employees from talking to the journalists.

U.S. District Judge William Quarles dismissed the newspaper's lawsuit, 
saying the paper wrongly asserted a greater right to access to government 
officials than private citizens have.

``The right to publish news is expansive. However, the right does not carry 
with it the unrestrained right to gather information,'' the judge ruled.

Sun editor Tim Franklin called the ruling ``scary'' and said the newspaper 
would seek an expedited hearing from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

``Essentially, what the court is saying is that it's OK for a politician to 
create an enemies list,'' Franklin said. ``It's not only unconstitutional, 
it's undemocratic.''

Ehrlich, at an event in suburban Washington, had no comment.

Ehrlich last fall barred state employees from talking to The Sun's State 
House bureau chief David Nitkin and columnist Michael Olesker. The governor 
said the two journalists were not objectively covering his administration.

The Sun sued in December, saying the order violated the journalists' First 
Amendment rights. The state asked that the case be thrown out.