Newspaper Photog Defies Court Order

Paul Wellman, a photographer for the Santa Barbara Independent, a weekly newspaper, has been found in contempt of court for refusing to hand over photographs that were subpoenaed by a defense attorney. Here's the Independent's report on the case.

Earlier this year Wellman shot 350 photographs during a gang melee, of which his newspaper published seven. The attorney sought the rest of the pictures to help prepare a defense in a murder case. Wellman and the newspaper refused. As a result, a judge fined them $1,000, though a stay has been issued pending an appeal.

This is a case right out of a journalism ethics class. Journalists generally refuse to share unpublished material to avoid compromising their independence. Wellman sums this up nicely in the story: "If you hand over unpublished photos you stop being part of the media and you start being an arm of the government."