NYT Reporter Subpoenaed For Notes.

I've used a digital recorder for pretty much every interview I've done the past four years and used tape recorders for 15 years before that. With the digital, you can hit the erase button as soon as the quotes are transcribed. When I used tape, I would record over previous interviews within a day or two almost every time.

 

If the paper issues a memo to all staffers that notes are to be destroyed on a set schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc etc.), if anybody tries to subpoena the notes, they can just throw up their hands and say "as far as we know they don't exist."

However, this only works if the policy is on record (written copies) PRIOR to the issuance of a subpoena. If the policy is issued after the subpoena, you're jumping into a heap of trouble.