Journalists subpoenaed in Pink Slime maker's lawsuit against news organizations

The beef product known as pink slime or lean finely textured beef is frozen on large drums as part of the manufacturing process at the Beef Products Inc. plant in South Sioux City, Nebraska March 29, 2012.  [Reuters]


The beef product known as pink slime or lean finely textured beef is frozen on large drums as part of the manufacturing process at the Beef Products Inc. plant in South Sioux City, Nebraska March 29, 2012. [Reuters]

At least four reporters have been ordered to turn over documents to attorneys representing America's largest "pink slime" producer, Beef Products Inc, in a $1.2-billion defamation lawsuit against ABC News and other news organizations.

From the Columbia Journalism Review:

Three journalists from Food Safety News were served subpoenas Wednesday compelling them to turn over correspondence with ABC and other defendants, according to publisher Bill Marler. Dan Flynn, editor of the site, reporter James Andrews, and former reporter Gretchen Goetz all were ordered to send emails and notes to BPI lawyers.

CJR confirmed that subpoenas were also sent to Michele Simon, a prominent writer on food policy, and Michael Moss, a New York Times writer whose 2009 reporting on contaminated meat helped him win a Pulitzer Prize the next year. In a phone interview Friday, however, Moss said his order had been stayed due to action by Times attorneys.