statutes enacted in some states which declare that communications between news reporters
and informants are confidential and privileged and thus cannot be testified to in
court. This is similar to the doctor-patient, lawyer-client or priest-parishioner
privilege. The concept is to allow a journalist to perform his/her function of gathering
news without being ordered to reveal his/her sources and notes of conversations.
In states which have no shield law, many judges have found reporters in contempt
of court (and given them jail terms) for refusing to name informants or reveal information
gathered on the promise of confidentiality.
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