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US media boycott off-the-record Eric Holder meeting News executives: Holder-US media meeting 'constructive'
(about 2 hours later)
A number of major US news organisations have declined to meet Attorney General Eric Holder to discuss leak investigations because the conversations would be off the record. US Attorney General, Eric Holder, has made concessions on how he conducts criminal investigations of reporters, according to media executives.
The New York Times, Fox News, Reuters and the Associated Press news agency are among those who refused to attend. They described a controversial off-the-record meeting with the attorney general as "constructive".
But broadcaster ABC News and the Washington Post did participate. They said officials expressed a commitment to altering guidelines on issuing subpoenas in criminal investigations involving reporters.
The meetings are part of a review on how the justice department conducts investigations involving reporters. Several major US media organisations boycotted the meeting.
The justice department is facing questions over its seizure of phone records and emails from journalists at the Associated Press and Fox News, taken without the news organisations' knowledge. The New York Times and Fox News were among them.
The justice department is facing questions over its seizure of phone records and emails from journalists.
The records were taken as part of investigations into leaking classified information to the media.The records were taken as part of investigations into leaking classified information to the media.
A review of how the justice department conducts investigations into reporters prompted this round of off-the-record meetings.
Not 'appropriate'Not 'appropriate'
The meetings between journalists and the Obama administration law enforcement officials are scheduled for Thursday and Friday. After the first of them, on Thursday, executives from news organisations which chose to be present said government officials agreed to significant changes.
Earlier, Reuters spokeswoman Barb Burg said the news agency "welcomed" the opportunity to hear Mr Holder's explanation on the subpoenas. Executive editor of the Washington Post, Martin Baron, said it was a "constructive meeting".
"But [we] believe firmly his comments should be for publication," she said, declining the invitation. "They expressed their commitment to the president's statement that reporters would not be at legal risk for doing their jobs," he said.
The Associated Press said they would not attend, but would "offer our views on how the regulations should be updated in an open letter". Jerry Seib, Washington bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal, said there was also a renewed commitment, from the government, to supporting a federal shield law for journalists.
And New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson said it would not be "appropriate" for the newspaper to attend an off-the-record meeting. Such laws are in already in force in many US states to protect journalists from having to reveal confidential sources.
The Associated Press news agency had said it would not attend, but would "offer our views on how the regulations should be updated in an open letter".
New York Times Executive Editor, Jill Abramson, said it would not be "appropriate" for the newspaper to attend an off-the-record meeting.
"Our Washington bureau is aggressively covering the department's handling of leak investigations at this time," Ms Abramson said."Our Washington bureau is aggressively covering the department's handling of leak investigations at this time," Ms Abramson said.
CNN, CBS, Huffington Post and Fox News have also joined the list. CNN, CBS, Huffington Post and Fox News were also absent.
At least four news organisations said they would attend the conversations. ABC News said they would go but press for the meeting to be held on the record. Politico Editor-in-Chief, John Harris, explained the publication's attendance by saying he routinely has off-the-record conversations to discuss news coverage and newsgathering practices.
Politico Editor-in-Chief John Harris explained the publication's attendance by saying he routinely has off-the-record conversations to discuss news coverage and newsgathering practices. Mr Baron said he would prefer to meet on the record, but added: "Journalists routinely participate in off-the-record sessions, whether they prefer those conditions or not."
Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron said he would prefer to meet on the record, but that "journalists routinely participate in off-the-record sessions, whether they prefer those conditions or not".
The Wall Street Journal also said it would attend. NBC News, another major broadcaster, has not commented.