Leaked audio of Los Angeles politicians engaging in crass and racist conversation has roiled local politics for days after it was posted anonymously to Reddit over the weekend. Since then, the president of the city’s unusually powerful council renounced that title, announced she would take a leave of absence, then resigned yesterday. Figures as prominent as President Joe Biden had called for her resignation, as well as those of other council members caught on tape. The head of the influential Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, who was also a participant in the conversation, has resigned.

The audio and ensuing reporting are undeniably newsworthy, and the resulting shake-up could transform the political situation in the country’s second largest city. But as is so often the case, some have treated the leak itself as the “real” transgression. A representative for the Federation of Labor sent a letter warning The Los Angeles Times that the conversation had been illegally recorded. (To its credit, the LA Times responded by noting that U.S. law does “not prohibit or punish the receipt and publication of newsworthy information.”) The group appears to have successfully removed what it calls the “illegal” audio from Reddit, per an internal memo that was, yes, leaked to the press.

Unauthorized leaks are frequently the source of critically important stories, but there is almost always a chorus of complaints that the origin of this reporting somehow taints the reporting. That’s nonsense. A central mission of Freedom of the Press Foundation — through its security trainings for journalists, development of SecureDrop software for encrypted anonymous communication, and advocacy for legal protections for reporters covering sensitive material — is to foster an environment where important leaks can get the fearless press coverage they deserve.

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What we’re reading:

• PACER users to receive refunds in $125 million settlement with U.S. judiciary: The U.S. government has agreed to refund up to $350 in fees incurred between 2010 and 2018 by users of PACER, the federal system for accessing court records. This settlement only covers past charges, but legislators are considering a proposal to free PACER going forward, which we have strongly endorsed.
• Warriors ‘aggressively investigating’ who leaked the Draymond Green punch video to TMZ: The Golden State Warriors are reportedly pursuing “every legal course of action” to find the leaker of a video that shows a physical altercation between superstars Draymond Green and Jordan Poole. Local sports reporters have defended the newsworthiness of the leak.
• Iranian security forces step up arrests of journalists amid anti-state protests: At least 28 journalists have been arrested in Iran over the past month as the government violently cracks down on protests in that country, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The protests began over the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating morality codes about conservative dress. Freedom of the Press Foundation condemns both the crackdowns and these arrests.
• Fight over social media’s role in terror content goes to Supreme Court: The Supreme Court agreed last week to hear two cases about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, one of the most important laws underpinning the Internet. Both cases pertain to content related to supposed terrorism-related content posted by users to social media sites.
• Devices illegally seized in investigation of reporter’s murder, Review-Journal argues: A judge this week granted the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s request to block authorities from reviewing devices seized from the home of slain reporter Jeff German, which are expected to include source names and notes. FPF — and dozens of press freedom advocacy and news outlets — argue the temporary injunction should be permanent. Our U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is following the device search and seizure.