20071024 Editorial on Shield law by Frederick News Post

Editorial on "Shield law" by Frederick News Post

Originally published October 24, 2007

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_editorial.htm?StoryID=66736

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives strongly endorsed a new journalism "shield law." The House voted 398 to 21 in favor of the Free Flow of Information Act of 2007, which would extend new protections to journalists in safeguarding their confidential sources. As the vote count indicates, the bill had strong bipartisan support --easily enough to override a presidential veto. The fate of the bill in the U.S. Senate is said to be less certain, in spite of the fact that the Senate Judiciary Committee has already voted 15-2 in support of it.

This federal shield legislation is breaking new ground, as it would, for the first time, establish legal standards on the federal government's power to order journalists to testify, disclose documents or name unidentified sources critical to their work. At present, most states have their own shield law legislation, but an overarching federal law is genuinely needed.

Read the entire editorial here: Editorial on Shield law by Frederick News Post