What Does a shield law do?

What Does a shield law do?

Shield laws are statutes that provide journalists either an absolute or qualified privilege to refuse to disclose sources used or information obtained in the course of news gathering.

What are shield laws quizlet?

What is Shield law? Shield laws give journalists the right to refuse to testify about information or about the identity of sources of information gleaned during the news gathering process.

What is protect under the shield law?

shield law, in the United States, any law that protects journalists against the compelled disclosure of confidential information, including the identities of their sources, or the forced surrender of unpublished written material collected during news gathering, such as notes.

Who is protected by PA shield laws?

The Pennsylvania shield law applies to individuals working in a news-related capacity (“gathering, procuring, compiling, editing or publishing”) for a “any newspaper of general circulation or any press association or any radio or television station, or any magazine of general circulation.” The law only applies to those …

What states have shield laws?

State shield statutes & leading cases

• Alabama. Alabama’s shield law provides an absolute privilege to journalists working in the fields specified by the statute.
• Alaska.
• Arizona.
• Arkansas.
• California.
• Colorado.
• Connecticut.
• Delaware.

What are shield laws and why have some states passed these laws?

State statutes. Roughly 30 states have passed statutes, called shield laws, allowing journalists to refuse to disclose or testify about confidential or unpublished information, including the identity of sources. The statutes vary significantly from state to state in the scope of their protections.

Why are shield laws important to the freedom of the press quizlet?

Laws passed by state legislatures that are designed to protect reporters from being forced to reveal their news sources. Why are shield laws important for the press? The shield laws help protect the reporter from having to reveal the source of their information.

How do shield laws protect reporters and the media quizlet?

What is a shield law? A reporter/journalist can protect and keep confidential a confidential source unless the government can prove:1) That there is probable cause to believe the reporter has info that is relevant to a specific violation of the law.

Does Florida have shield law?

Florida has a shield law that may protect your sources and newsgathering materials. It protects both the identity of sources and unpublished information acquired or prepared during newsgathering, such as notes and outtakes. This common law privilege may offer protection for amateur and non-traditional journalists.

Which of the following states does not have a shield law?

Mississippi has no shield law, but does recognize a qualified privilege. There are no reported state cases dealing with reporters’ privilege and confidential sources, so the extent to which Mississippi recognizes the privilege is not clear.

When was the shield law passed?

1935
California passed its first shield law in 1935, where it was codified in section 1881(6) of the CCP. In its original iteration, the shield law protections only applied to newspaper publishers, editors, and reporters who refused to reveal their sources.

What is Freedom press quizlet?

“The right, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution to publish and distribute information in books, magazines, and newspapers without government intervention.” Freedom of Press. Protects what some call, “The fourth branch of government,” the media.

What do you need to know about shield laws?

A shield law is law that gives reporters protection against being forced to disclose confidential information or sources in state court. There is no federal shield law and state shield laws vary in scope. In general, however, a shield law aims to provide the classic protection of, “a reporter cannot be forced to reveal his or her source” law.

How many states have shield laws in the US?

States differ on their approach to protecting reporter’s privilege. As of 2011, 49 states and the District of Columbia offer some form of protections Forty states (plus D.C.) have passed shield laws. These laws vary from state to state.

What was the Supreme Court decision on the shield law?

The Supreme Court decided in a five to four decision that the press did not have a Constitutional right of protection from revealing confidential information in court.

How does a shield law protect a reporter?

Thus, a shield law provides a privilege to a reporter pursuant to which the reporter cannot be forced by subpoena or other court order to testify about information contained in a news story and/or the source of that information.