Confidentiality of Sources
Confidentiality of Sources
Prepare a 1400 word, three-part research paper. Address the specifics within your paper of each of the following questions below as they pertain to Branzburg v. Hayes, Confidentiality, and Shield Laws
- Branzburg v. Hayes (Ch. 9 of the text)
o What did the court decide in Branzburg v. Hayes regarding a journalist’s right to withhold confidential sources?
o How have lower courts interpreted the Branzburg v. Hayes decision based on whether the cases involved civil, criminal, or grand jury proceedings?
- Confidentiality (Ch. 10 of the text)
o Summarize the approach journalists should take pertaining to promising confidentiality to sources.
o What advice should journalists give to sources who demand confidentiality?
- Shield laws (Ch. 10 of the text)
o There are no uniform shield laws. They vary from state to state and vary between courts. Journalists typically operate at a local level where they may or may not be protected by state shield laws.
o What protections do shield laws provide, if any, in addition to federal constitutional protections supporting nondisclosure of news sources? Explain your response.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
solution preview
In the Branzburg v. Hayes case of 1972, the US Supreme Court invalidated the use of the first amendment by reporters as defense when they are summoned to give testimonies before a grand jury. The decision was reached by a 5-4 majority vote against the existing reporters’ privilege in the first amendment. In its argument, the court declared that the petitioners were seeking the court to grant reporters testimonial privileges that the general public did not enjoy. The court therefore held it that the first amendment did not protect a reporter who has witnessed criminal activities from disclosing their
total word count: 1453