William A. Price (April 20, 1915 – April 29, 2009) was an American journalist who worked as the United Nations correspondent and, later, police reporter for the ''
New York Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'' from 1940-1955. He is one of many journalists to be fired and labeled as outcasts because of their alleged affiliations with the
Communist Party.
Military service
During
WWII, Price flew planes for the
U.S. Navy.
[
]
Senate subpoena
Price was subpoenaed by and testified before the U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee in November 1955.[The Press: Eastland v. The Times]
, '' Time Magazine'', January 16, 1956, accessed February 14, 2011. He was one of dozens of journalists who were subpoenaed in November 1955 due to Winston Burdett's testimony before the subcommittee earlier that summer.[
Unlike some of the other writers and news employees called before the subcommittee Price avoided invoking the protections of the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions, instead standing behind the First Amendment. He simply refused to answer any questions, telling the subcommittee that they lacked jurisdiction to inquire about his political opinions.][Grimes, William.]
William A. Price, Journalist Who Defied Senate Panel, Dies at 94
, '' The New York Times'', May 1, 2009, accessed February 14, 2011. The ''Daily News'' Executive Editor Richard Clarke immediately fired Price by telegram, saying his testimony had "destroyed isusefulness" to the ''News''.[
His attempt to invoke the First Amendment was overruled by Senator James O. Eastland multiple times. Due to his testimony Price was indicted on charges of ]contempt of Congress
Contempt of Congress is the act of obstructing the work of the United States Congress or one of its committees. Historically, the bribery of a U.S. senator or U.S. representative was considered contempt of Congress. In modern times, contempt of Co ...
, along with journalists Alden Whitman
Alden Rogers Whitman (October 27, 1913 – September 4, 1990) was an American journalist who served as chief obituary writer for ''The New York Times'' from 1964 to 1976. In that role, he pioneered a more vivid, biographical approach to obituaries ...
and Robert Shelton.[ Price was eventually convicted of the charge and was sentenced to three months in jail and a fine of $500.][
]
Personal life
Price was an activist for tenant rights on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for over forty years. He was a direct descendant of the American revolutionary William Henry and one of the founders of Scranton, Pennsylvania: Charles Scranton. His cousin, George Polk, a foreign correspondent for CBS, was honored on a U.S. postage stamp in 2008.
References
Further reading
A Flight Along America's Highway
Marton, Kati: The Polk Conspiracy; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1990
Polk, William Roe: Polk's Folly, An American Family History; Anchor Books, New York, 2000
Vlanton, Elias and Mettger, Zak: Who Killed George Polk?; Temple University Press, Philadelphia, PA 1996
{{DEFAULTSORT:Price, William A.
American newspaper reporters and correspondents
1915 births
2009 deaths
Place of birth missing