Federal Shield Law Gets Initial Hearing Before Senate Judiciary Committee

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Congress is considering legislation (S 1319) sponsored by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-IN, (S 1319) and Rep. Mike Pence, R-IN, (HR 3323), that would create a federal shield law. The companion legislation provides an absolute privilege for reporters except in national security cases. In July, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony from journalists and media lawyers who urged that Congress should clarify a reporter’s legal right to protect confidential sources. The Justice Department submitted a written statement calling the proposed bill “bad public policy.” The headline above links to the bills text. Testimony of the witnesses and related research reports are linked below.