THE National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has given "full support" to Mr Barry O'Kelly over his refusal to reveal a source of information about a story.
Mr Eoin Ronayne, the NUJ's Irish Secretary, said yesterday that Mr O'Kelly was loyal to his principles and the professional code of conduct of the union in not revealing his source.
"He must continue to pursue the position adopted and that is to not reveal his sources because to do so would be to undermine the whole fabric of journalism."
Mr Ronayne was speaking after yesterday's adjournment of the case involving Mr O'Kelly.
Mr O'Kelly said he was compelled not to identify his sources, a "time-honoured tradition" for journalists.
"If I'm sent to Mountjoy so be it. I'm in a position where I've no option but to protect my source. It's a rule of thumb for any journalist. We wouldn't be able to function if we were going to expose the people who give us the information.
"In this case it's rather humdrum but there are much more important cases where important information is at stake and you only get that information if there is trust.
"People look at journalists and think they are honourable. If they thought that journalists would go and divulge the sources of their stories, lots of big stories wouldn't be broken."