The Reporter's Privilege: The Necessity of a Federal Shield Law Thirty Years after Branzburg

Authors

Leila Wombacher Knox

Abstract

To date, thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have enacted shield laws that provide varying degrees of protection to reporters, their sources, and their notes. Several federal lawmakers have publicly considered whether a similar federal law would be appropriate. This note examines the roots of the reporter's privilege, surveys selected state shield laws, and considers the impact of the seminal Supreme Court case in the federal realm.

Recommended Citation

Leila Wombacher Knox, The Reporter's Privilege: The Necessity of a Federal Shield Law Thirty Years after Branzburg, 28 UC Law SF Comm. & Ent. L.J. 125 (2005).
Available at: https://repository.uclawsf.edu/hastings_comm_ent_law_journal/vol28/iss1/4