Reporter asked to reveal anonymous sourcess

Plain Dealer reporter Gabriel Baird was summoned to appear in court Tuesday -- in what looks to be insufficient notice -- to reveal an anonymous source used in a story printed nearly six months ago.

Read the article

When Baird did not appear before the court, the judge signed a warrant for his arrest. Police went to the PD's office for Baird, but he was on assignment and the court had not used his legal name making the warrant useless.

Under the Ohio Shield Law, reporters are protected from having to reveal anonymous sources.

This case could get interesting.

Sounds like an abuse of political power in the Cleveland judicial system to me. I'm very anxious to see how this shakes out. I'll be surprised if the judge can get away with it. Actually, I'm astonished that she thinks she can get away with it now. The last three graphs of the PD article blast the judge for past blunders that make her look rather incompetent.

When i first read those graphs, I was kind of surprised the PD opted to include that information. Sure it's relevant in that this judge has exhibited questionable behavior before, but that's about where it stops.

With that, though, I think it begs to ask: Is possible to always maintain balance when covering one of your colleagues or reporting on the news organization you work for?

Thoughts?

-- Taylor