Beware, anonymous posters:
The Indianapolis Star has asked the Indiana Court of Appeals to decide, possibly for the first time, whether the state's journalism Shield Law and state and U.S. constitutions protect media outlets from being forced to disclose the identities of anonymous posters to their websites.
The request comes in an appeal, filed Monday, of a Marion County judge's order requiring The Star to turn over identifying details on an anonymous poster to IndyStar.com.
"The order decides an issue of law heretofore not addressed by an Indiana appellate court," The Star said in a motion to delay Superior Court Judge S.K. Reid's order while the appeal is pending.
The appeal comes in a defamation lawsuit by former Junior Achievement of Central Indiana Executive Director Jeffrey Miller and his wife, Cynthia.
The Millers want to uncover the author of an anonymous post in April 2010 that they allege was defamatory to Jeffrey Miller.
The Star contends that the state's Shield Law, which protects media outlets from being forced to reveal sources of information they gather, applies in the case, as do constitutional rights to free speech.
I'm no fan of shield laws, and I'm not sure the right of free speech includes making libelous claims anonymously. I have mixed feelings about the benefits of anonymous postings. They can keep a debate lively and brisk, but they also encourage bad manners and a certain looseness with the truth.
