posting this problem seems like brilliant PR. to me, you seem pretty safe from repercussion...and you might as well get some press for this. i mean, it was only a matter of time 'til this idea gets spun into a web app. also, i heard an interview with him on mixergy some weeks ago...and he seems like a prick. he was rudely typing away & distracted while andrew warner, the interviewer, was interviewing him. it was only until andrew starting asking him about potential competition that he woke up (obviously self conscious that a better web app can potentially steal his business from under him).

i think your app needs work. focus on that. once a better mouse trap comes out, i think reporters would flock to it. he claims his success is about the trust he's built with reporters. trust? he email blasts these requests with full reporter contact info twice a day to millions of people via email! (well, actually he finally started hiding reporter email with an anonymizer earlier this year).