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Daily Record — Protecting reporting
- By: ASNE staff
- On: 02/19/2008 16:19:20
- In: Shield law editorials
Federal ‘shield law’ needs to be approved
Daily Record, Parsippany, N.J.
Feb. 16, 2008
The state’s shield law gives New Jersey journalists the privilege of investigating and reporting the news without fear of being prosecuted for refusing
Federal ‘shield law’ needs to be approved
Daily Record, Parsippany, N.J.
Feb. 16, 2008
The state’s shield law gives New Jersey journalists the privilege of investigating and reporting the news without fear of being prosecuted for refusing to divulge a source. Without such protection, reporters likely would be subject to government intimidation.
The problem is that while reporters are protected under state law, no such protection exists on the federal level.
Last fall, the House approved creation of a federal shield law by an overwhelming vote of 398-21. But the law has stalled in the Senate, more for procedural reasons than anything else. We urge our two senators from New Jersey Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez -- who are both part of the Democratic majority, to do what they can to pass this legislation.
With no federal shield law, more than 40 reporters and media organizations have been subpoenaed or questioned about their confidential sources, their notes and their work product in federal court cases over the last few years. Any attempt to rein in reporters serves only to encourage secrecy in government. If that’s not an impediment to democracy, it’s hard to know what is. Let’s allow journalists to do their jobs.