IV. Who is covered

Because Missouri has no "shield law" statute, the only discussion of quashing subpoenas in the context of non-reporters in cases in the state have been in terms of general discovery issues, which are not relevant to this discussion, and to issues related to confidential communications in the context of an attorney-client relationship or a doctor-client relations, none of which are covered by this author in this outline.

Missouri's proposed shield law provides that a "covered person" is: Any person or entity whose revenue comes principally from the business of gathering, creation, or distribution of news or from charitable contributions that disseminates information by print, broadcast, cable, satellite, mechanical, photographic, electronic, or other means, and that meets one of the following three criteria: (a) Publishes, in either print or electronic form, a newspaper, book, magazine, pamphlet, or any other periodical; or (b) Operates a radio or television broadcast station, a network of such stations, a cable system, a satellite carrier, or a channel or programming service for any such station, network, system, or carrier; or (c) Operates a news agency or wire service, or a news or feature syndicate. A "covered person" shall also include: a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, employee, or contractor of a covered person if such parent, subsidiary, affiliate, employee, or contractor derives revenue from the business of gathering, creation, or distribution of news or from charitable contributions.