Conversion is a tort that exposes you to liability for damages in a civil lawsuit. It applies when someone intentionally interferes with personal property belonging to another person. To make out a conversion claim, a plaintiff must establish four elements:

Note: This page covers information specific to Pennsylvania. See the section on Protecting Sources and Source Material for more general information.

Note: This page covers information specific to Texas. See the section on Protecting Sources and Source Material for more general information.

Note: This page covers information specific to North Carolina. See the section on Protecting Sources and Source Material for more general information.

Note: This page covers information specific to New Jersey. See the section on Protecting Sources and Source Material for more general information.

Note: This page covers information specific to Massachusetts. See the section on Protecting Sources and Source Material for more general information.

Note: This page covers information specific to Illinois. See the section on Protecting Sources and Source Material for more general information.

Note: This page covers information specific to Florida. See the section on Protecting Sources and Source Material for more general information.

Note: This page covers information specific to California. See the section on Protecting Sources and Source Material for more general information.

There are three potential legal bases for protecting your sources and source material in California: the California shield law, the United States Constitution, and the federal Privacy Protection Act.

When you gather and publish information, it may be important to you to protect the confidentiality of your sources or source material. You may not wish for your sources' identities to be revealed, and you may not want all of the information you have gathered to be public. Here are some practical tips for you to consider when seeking to protect your newsgathering information: