Pamplin Media Group - Wyden urges U.S. law to shield reporters from government
Wyden's father, Peter, was a journalist. State shield laws Although almost all states, including Oregon, have similar legal protections for reporters and others against forced disclosure of confidential news sources — known as "shield laws" — there is no federal shield law. State laws do not apply to investigations by federal agencies. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 1972 case, Branzburg v. Hayes, there is no federal constitutional guarantee that keeps reporters from being compelled to testify to a grand jury. But the court invited states to enact their own laws, and the Oregon Legisl...
Source: pamplinmedia.com