In a trial before a federal judge that lasted less than an hour, WJAR-TV (Ch. 10, NBC) Providence, RI investigative reporter Jim Taricani was found guilty of contempt of court for refusing to tell a special federal prosecutor who gave him an undercover FBI videotape of a top aide to then-Mayor Buddy Cianci taking a bribe. Taricani faces sentencing on December 9th for up to six months in prison.

"While I am willing to go to jail, I think it is wrong for journalists to face this type of threat simply for doing their jobs," Taricani told fellow reporters after hearing the guilty verdict. The journalist says he won't reveal his source, even though he is concerned about going to jail because of his medical condition. The 55-year-old had a heart transplant in 1996 and takes medications to control his immune system.

"The government has used its resources and power and the threat of jail to try to coerce me to identify a confidential source. This assault on journalistic freedom exacts a high price by stifling the flow of newsworthy information to reporters and to the public," Taricani said.

His employer, an NBC O&O which has been paying his thousand-bucks-a-day fine for refusing to reveal the source, issued this statement of support:

"NBC 10 is profoundly disappointed by the conviction of its investigative reporter, Jim Taricani, on criminal contempt charges.

A confidential source gave Jim a videotape that showed public corruption at City Hall. He has refused to identify the source of the tape, and now may go to jail for keeping this word. Maintaining a promise of confidentiality has been critical to Jim's success as a reporter.

Throughout his 30-year career, Jim has broken stories on the mob, public corruption and crime. Many of these reports might not have seen the light of day if Jim did not have confidential sources who were willing to risk their reputations, their jobs, even their lives to come forward and provide him with important information that the public had a right to know. If Jim cannot rely upon confidential sources, the citizens of Rhode Island will be denied the hard-hitting, investigative journalism that they have come to expect from Jim over the decades of reporting in the state.

Jim Taricani, a respected journalist and heart-transplant recipient, should not be treated as a criminal for doing his job. NBC 10 has stood by him and supports his decision to not to disclose his source. No reporter should have to pay such a terribly high price for honestly and legally reporting the news."