Federal Shield Law: A Journalist's Right

Abstract: 6 pages in length. Protecting the identity of confidential sources is as much a part of journalism as the notion of freedom of the press is a critical component of the First Amendment. That discretion should be left up to the reporter with regard to which sources he safeguards is a fundamental tenet in the quest for media to uphold their obligation to inform the public both properly and accurately; stripped of the ability to withhold source identity through a federal shield law, the wealth of informants would cease to exist, the free flow of information would be interrupted (Anonymous A14) and reporters would be incapable of unearthing pertinent details, ultimately be relegated to printing basic press releases. In essence, the confidential source is what brings a story to life by infusing it with much-needed information few people may have and be willing to give it to a reporter. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

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Catagory: General

Subcatagory: Communications, Media, Theory, Etc

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