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Today, 31 states have shield laws that protect journalists from revealing their sources, as well as other information.
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The states in blue have shield laws.

The Florida Statute: Professional journalists are not required to testify or name sources when they received the information while gathering news; journalists are not covered when they witness or record a crime. The statute does not protect physical evidence.

Professional journalists are defined as "a person regularly engaged in collecting, photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing news, for gain or livelihood, who obtained the information sought while working as a salaried employee of, or independent contractor for, a newspaper, news journal, news agency, press association, wire service, radio or television station, network, or newsmagazine. Book authors and others who are not professional journalists, as defined in this paragraph, are not included in the provisions of this section."

actual text of Section 90.5015

The best source for information about state shield laws is the Reporter's Committee for the Freedom of the Press
On their website, you can search each state for shield laws and other related information (who is covered by the law, etc). Please visit the site for further information.

Copyright 2005 Krista Vaught
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