Shield Laws

House Passes Federal Shield Bill

Dave Aeikens at SPJ and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press report that last night the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.

Jurisdiction:

United States

Subject Area:

Virginia Blogger Invokes Reporter's Privilege to Challenge Subpoena Seeking Anonymous Commenters

Waldo Jacquith, the Virginia blogger targeted with an outrageously broad subpoena back in January (see my previous post), filed a brief last week arguing that he should not be required to turn over the IP addresses of those who viewed and commented on an article posted to his blog, as well as his email correspondence relating to the article. Paul Alan Levy of

Jurisdiction:

Virginia

Subject Area:

Federal Shield Bills Offer Rival Takes On Who's A Journalist; Bloggers Could Be Left Unprotected

The question of what makes a journalist is due for yet another round of debate, now that Congress is weighing two competing versions of a federal shield law for reporters.

Jurisdiction:

United States

Subject Area:

Shield Laws

Live-blogging journalism? You betcha. It's just not always good journalism.

As a young journalist, I remember listening with interest to colleagues recounting long-ago fights for the right to bring cameras into the court room. And while that battle hasn't been won everywhere, it appears nevertheless to be giving way to a new wave of concerns.

Subject Area:

Oregon Shield Law Protects Anonymous Commenter

Last week, an Oregon state judge ruled that Oregon's media shield law, found at Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 44.510 to 44.540, protected the identity of an anonymous commenter who posted allegedly defamatory statements on The Portland Mercury and Willamette Week websites.

Jurisdiction:

Oregon

Subject Area:

Montana Shield Law Protects Anonymous Commenters

Judge Todd Baugh of Montana's 13th Judicial District ruled on Wednesday that Montana's shield law protects an online newspaper from having to disclose the identities of anonymous commenters. The ruling treats anonymous commenters like other confidential sources, whose identities are commonly protected by state shield laws.

Jurisdiction:

Montana

Subject Area:

Blogger and Maryland Police Chief Settle Defamation Lawsuit

Last week, Salisbury, Maryland Police Chief Allan Webster and Joe Albero, operator of the Salisbury News blog, reached a settlement in Webster's defamation and false light lawsuit, just hours before the case was scheduled for trial.

Jurisdiction:

Maryland

Subject Area:

Citizen Journalist Invokes Oregon Shield Law to Fight Subpoena

Does Oregon's reporter shield law apply to an independent journalist who publishes online? That question looks set to be answered, thanks to the refusal of Tim Lewis to comply with a grand jury subpoena for his video of a May 30, 2008, demonstration in Eugene, Oregon, where police tasered an 18-year-old protester.

Jurisdiction:

Oregon

Content Type:

Video

Subject Area:

Hawaii Legislature Passes Shield Bill

The Hawaii legislature passed a reporters' shield bill Tuesday that will protect both traditional and non-traditional journalists from compelled disclosure of their confidential sources and information and materials obtained or prepared during the newsgathering process. In one sense, this shield bill is a positive step forward, as it expressly contemplates that online publishers carrying out journalistic functions will take advantage of its protections.

Jurisdiction:

Hawaii

Subject Area:

Shield Laws

Maine Enacts State Shield Law

Last Friday, Maine enacted a state shield law to protect journalists from disclosing the identity of a confidential source or source material that the journalist obtained or received during the newsgathering process. See 16 Me. Rev. Stat. §61 (click on the "webpage" link under the "Final Disposition" section). However, the law does not give journalists an absolute privilege against disclosing this type of information.

Jurisdiction:

Maine

Subject Area:

Shield Laws

Digital Media Law Project

Legal Resources for Digital Media

Shield Laws

House Passes Federal Shield Bill

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Virginia Blogger Invokes Reporter's Privilege to Challenge Subpoena Seeking Anonymous Commenters

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Federal Shield Bills Offer Rival Takes On Who's A Journalist; Bloggers Could Be Left Unprotected

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Live-blogging journalism? You betcha. It's just not always good journalism.

Subject Area:

Oregon Shield Law Protects Anonymous Commenter

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Montana Shield Law Protects Anonymous Commenters

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Blogger and Maryland Police Chief Settle Defamation Lawsuit

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Citizen Journalist Invokes Oregon Shield Law to Fight Subpoena

Jurisdiction:

Content Type:

Subject Area:

Hawaii Legislature Passes Shield Bill

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Maine Enacts State Shield Law

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Pages

Browse by Subject

Recent Blog Posts

Search form

Subject Area:

Subject Area:

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Subject Area:

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Jurisdiction:

Content Type:

Subject Area:

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Jurisdiction:

Subject Area:

Pages

Browse by Subject

Recent Blog Posts