US: A federal judge has ordered the New York Times to disclose the confidential sources used by Nicholas Kristof in columns that explored whether a former army scientist was responsible for the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks.
The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the former scientist, Steven Hatfill, which contended that the paper defamed him in a series of Kristof columns in 2002 by identifying him as a "likely culprit". Mr Hatfill has been identified by authorities as a "person of interest" in the anthrax-spore mailings that killed five people and made 17 people ill. No one has been charged in the attacks.
Mr Hatfill's attorneys are seeking to compel Mr Kristof to reveal his sources, arguing that questioning them is vital to their case. Mr Kristof has refused.
Judge Liam O'Grady sided with Mr Hatfill and ordered the journalist to disclose the identity of the three sources by yesterday.
"The court understands the need for a reporter to be able to credibly pledge confidentiality to his sources," the judge wrote. But Mr Hatfill "needs an opportunity to question the confidential sources and determine if Mr Kristof accurately reported information the sources provided."
The New York Times said on Monday that it plans to appeal, and Mr Kristof vowed to continue protecting his sources. "We were disappointed with the decision because we believe that confidential sources are sometimes very important in covering government investigations," he said."And I'm passionate about protecting the confidentiality of my sources."
The ruling is the latest in a series of court defeats for journalists trying to shield sources from the legal process. Judges have ordered reporters covering issues ranging from baseball's steroid scandal to the investigation into the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity to disclose confidential sources. In the Plame case, former New York Times reporter Judith Miller spent 85 days in jail for refusing to comply.