Blogging for Freedom

Journalism is not a crime! Josh Wolf, freelance journalist and independent videographer, is currently in “coercive custody” at the Federal Detention Facility in Dublin, California. He is not charged with any crime and is being held under civil contempt. Wolf was incarcerated earlier this year after resisting a subpoena to testify before a Federal Grand jury and for refusing to turn over his source material for video he shot of a San Francisco protest against the G8 Summit in 2005. His incarceration is virtually unprecedented, and it is widely believed he will likely become the longest imprisoned journalist in U.S. history.

Having covered protests for several years as part of the San Francisco press corps, Wolf has gained exclusive access to much of the Bay Area’s activist community. Access denied to other journalists. Throughout Wolf’s ordeal, he has expressed concerns that this case is an attempt by federal prosecutors to identify political dissidents and his attorneys have argued that the grand jury investigation is a fishing expedition. Wolf has repeatedly stated under oath that his unpublished material does not contain footage of any of the alleged crimes committed.  In a show of good faith, Wolf has offered to let the judge review his tape.

The Honorable Judge William Alsop refused.

Wolf, 24, is the recipient of the 2006 Society of Professional Journalists Freedom of Information Award as Journalist of the Year. Advocates from Reporters Without Borders, Committee to Protect Journalistm, and numerous others have all spoken out in his defense.