Committing Fraud to Protect Privacy?
Kirtley, Jane, American Journalism Review
A judge rules a reporter erred in lying about reasons for seeking credit reports but finds the story was in the public interest.
A Business Week investigation into privacy problems in the credit reporting business has wound up on the wrong side of a court ruling, which found that the reporter and his publisher committed fraud in obtaining information. However, the federal judge refused to award punitive damages because he said the story served a vital public interest.
In the spring of 1989, Business Week reporter Jeffrey Rothfeder approached WDIA Corp., a superbureau providing computerized access to the credit files of the "Big Three" agencies: Equifax, TRW and TransUnion Corp. Rothfeder wanted to see if the superbureau would let him …
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Publication information:
Article title: Committing Fraud to Protect Privacy?.
Contributors: Kirtley, Jane - Author.
Magazine title: American Journalism Review.
Volume: 21.
Issue: 2
Publication date: March 1999.
Page number: 70.
© 2009 University of Maryland.
COPYRIGHT 1999 Gale Group.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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