2A

Kansas does not have a shield statute.

The New Mexico legislature first enacted a reporter's privilege in 1967. See Act of Mar. 28, 1967, ch. 168, 1967 N.M. Laws 978. The original statute took the form of a declaration of "the public policy of New Mexico." Id. § 1(A), 1967 N.M. Laws at 978.

Wisconsin has no shield law statute.

Alaska has a shield law, presently codified as AS 09.25.300 -- .390. (The shield law, which encompasses public officials as well as reporters, was codified as AS 09.25.150 -- .220 until it was re-numbered in 1994.) The shield law was enacted in 1967. There is no significant legislative history, nor have there been significant amendments to it. The text of the statute is as follows:

Alaska Statutes, Title 09, Chapter 25.

Article 3. Privilege of Public Officials and Reporters

AS 09.25.300. Claiming of Privilege By Public Official or Reporter.

The statute reads:

Nevada's press shield law is provided for under NRS 49.275:

West Virginia has no statutory "shield" law. This likely is because there is a general acceptance of the state Supreme Court's articulation of the qualified reporter's privilege in Hudok v. Henry. In Hudok, the state Supreme Court explained the qualified privilege as follows:

Originally enacted in 1935, Alabama's shield statute provides an absolute privilege to persons engaged in a newsgathering capacity on behalf of a newspaper, radio station, or a television station. The shield statute prohibits those persons from being compelled to disclose "sources" of information provided that the information was obtained or procured by the reporter and published in a newspaper, broadcast on a broadcasting station, or televised by a television station. Specifically, the statute provides as follows:

Louisiana has enacted two shield laws. The first statute dates from 1964 and protects reporters from being forced to disclose their sources. La. R.S. 45:1451-1459. "No reporter shall be compelled to disclose in any administrative, judicial or legislative proceeding or anywhere else the identity of any informant or any source of information obtained by him from another person while acting as a reporter." La. R.S. 45:1452. Reporter is defined broadly as "any person regularly engaged in the business of collecting, writing or editing news for publication through a news media." La. R.S. 45:1451.

New York Civil Rights Law § 79-h. Special provisions relating to persons employed by, or connected with, news media.

(a)Definitions. As used in this section, the following definitions shall apply: