Shield law

A statute or rule giving journalists a legal privilege to refuse to disclose confidential sources or unpublished material in legal proceedings. Most U.S. states have some form of shield law; no federal shield law has been enacted, leaving federal cases governed by Justice Department internal guidelines instead.

Sources

1. DOJ rescinds news media guidelines: analysis archived copyReporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, 2025-04-25. Source record
2. Federal shield law efforts archived copyReporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Source record