Sony Threatens News Outfits Reporting On Email Hacking Scandal

Sony producer Scott Rudin and co-chair Amy Pascal. (Photo: BRUCE GLIKAS/FILMMAGIC; JASON MERRITT/GETTY)

The Nov. 24 Sony hacking scandal is a public relations nightmare for Sony Pictures Entertainment (NYSE:SNE) and, now, they are threatening news organization covering the story. Lawyers for the company told certain news organizations on Sunday to stop publishing email correspondences stolen by hackers who attacked the movie studio’s computer network last month.

In one exchange, producer Scott Rudin and Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal made a series of racial jokes about President Barack Obama.

Three media outfits — The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety — all published stories reporting that they had each received a letter from David Boies, a corporate attorney for Sony Pictures Entertainment, in which he demands that the outlets stop reporting information contained in the documents. The letter further demands that the outfits immediately destroy the documents.

The studio “does not consent to your possession, review, copying, dissemination, publication, uploading, downloading or making any use” of the information in the emails, Boies wrote in the letter, according to the New York Times report.

“Any decisions about whether or how to use any of the information will take into account both the significance of the news and the questions of how the information emerged and who has access to it,” New York Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy said.

A spokesman for Boies would only confirm he sent a letter to various media outlets on behalf of Sony, but declined to discuss details, including whether any other news organization received it, as well.

However, a spokesman for Sony had no comment, while Variety and The Hollywood Reporter were not immediately available on Sunday and have not responded to emails.

In addition to information depicting executives as hypocritical limousine liberals, the hackers have also leaked documents that include information regarding employee salaries and other financial information, marketing plans and contracts with various business partners.

But it has been the remarks about President Obama that has gotten all the media attention, and which forced the Sony executives to publicly apologize for — well — getting caught.

“I made a series of remarks that were meant only to be funny, but in the cold light of day, they are in fact thoughtless and insensitive,” Scott Rudin said. “I’m profoundly and deeply sorry.”

Pascal issued a public apology for what she referred to as “insensitive and inappropriate” comments in the various emails.

“The content of my emails to Scott were insensitive and inappropriate but are not an accurate reflection of who I am,” the co-chair said.

Now, Pascal is scheduled to meet this week with civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, whose spokeswoman says he is weighing whether to call for her resignation. Many have instantly noted the double-standard toward liberal white elitists who make racially charged comments, and correctly argue that Paul Dean, for instance, wasn’t given such consideration, despite the plethora of good deeds in her life.

Sony, in a memo to staff seen by Reuters on Dec. 2, acknowledged only that a large amount of data was stolen by the hackers. It didn’t, however, address the issue that even employees are seemingly more concerned over.

“The entire staff was turned upside down when it happened,” an insider told PEOPLE of the Rudin-Pascal exchange.

Over the weekend, a message claiming to be from the Guardians of Peace, which is a group that claims responsibility for the cyber attack on Sony, warned of additional disclosures. Justice Department officials tell PPD they believe the hackers to have connections to North Korea, who felt slated by the company for reasons undisclosed.

“We are preparing for you a Christmas gift,” said the message posted on a site for sharing files called Pastebin. “The gift will be larger quantities of data. And it will be more interesting.”