CNN, Buzzfeed, NYT, WaPo, AP, NBC, And Politico Attempting to Doxx Manafort Jurors
Just one day after their coordinated virtue signaling about their important role in maintaining a civil society**, a coalition of media companies have filed a motion (pdf) seeking the names and addresses of the jurors in the Manafort trial. I am a huge supporter of sunlight and disclosure in government, and perhaps there is a precedent for this, but it seems like a terrible idea. I have served on two criminal juries in my lifetime and I can guarantee you I would have resisted participation had I known that my name and home address would be released to the public in association with the trial verdict.
CNN in particular has some history in misusing doxxing. A year or so ago they threatened a Reddit user with doxxing if he didn't stop posting a meme critical of CNN. Given that probably 95% of the employees of this media coalition probably want to see Manafort convicted, there is real reason for concern how this information might be used.
In FOIA rules, the decisions to release a particular piece of information to one petitioner is a decision to release it to everyone, I am not sure if similar rules would apply here. Kind of hoping that Ken White at Popehat chimes in on this.
** A conclusion I am sympathetic to, though I think the media undercuts their argument a bit by acting as thin-skinned and as childish at times as President Trump does.
Update: Judge denies motion. Good.
