# Shield law

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

A statute or rule giving journalists a legal privilege to refuse to disclose confidential sources or unpublished material in legal proceedings.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. https://www.rcfp.org/doj-rescinds-news-media-guidelines-analysis/ Archived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260917203552/https://www.rcfp.org/doj-rescinds-news-media-guidelines-analysis/ (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, 2025-04-25).
2. Federal shield law efforts. https://www.rcfp.org/federal-shield-law/ (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press).

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/glossary/shield-law. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.