Reporter Protection

Media giant Hearst Corporation covers lobbying in many of its newspapers, but the company also is lobbying for its own interests. Hearst recently hired government relations firm Corallo Comstock Inc. to lobby for reporters' privilege legislation, which would create federal protection of journalists and their confidential sources. Former Justice Department spokespersons Mark Corallo, who was Karl Rove's spokesman during the Valerie Plame investigation, and Barbara Comstock, spokeswoman for Scooter Libby, opened the firm in January.