MARYLAND -- A bill filed in the Maryland House of Representatives by
Delegate Sandy Rosenberg, D-Baltimore City, proposes that college journalists be
extended the shield law protections currently afforded to professional
journalists.
These protections allow reporters to protect their confidential sources
entirely, and protect any notes or unpublished materials unless disclosure is
deemed legally necessary. The law in Maryland currently protects journalists
"employed" by news organizations. The proposed changes in House Bill
257 move to include any journalist enrolled in college and involved in news
"gathering" or "disseminating," not just those employed
by a news provider, Rosenberg said.
For Rosenberg, the catalyst for the bill was the situation involving
student journalists at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern
University in Evanston, Ill. The school hosts the Medill Innocence Project, run
by Professor David Protess, which attempts to use investigative journalism to
reexamine criminal cases where there is evidence of a wrongful conviction.
Protess received a subpoena last year in connection with his students'
investigation of a murder conviction, requesting all notes, electronic
communications created for the course, the grades of the students working on the
case, a copy of the course syllabus for the Innocence Project class and receipts
for expenses incurred during the investigation, among other materials.
Rosenberg said he hopes this law in Maryland will inspire lawmakers in
other states to follow suit. Members of other news organizations also believe
that college journalists should be afforded these rights.
Whatever records or sources a college journalist obtains should be
protected just as they would be for a "commercial" journalist, said
Ron Spielberger, executive director of the College Media Advisers.
He added that it should be nationally recognized that college journalists
have the same rights as professionals to things like the confidentiality of
sources.
Jack Murphy, executive director of the Maryland Delaware DC Press
Association said Rosenberg has long been a friend of journalism and that the
MDDC Press Association supports the new bill.
Again citing the issues at Northwestern, Murphy said this bill would offer
protection to college journalists who may be working on projects that do require
a "certain level of confidentiality."
A public hearing regarding House Bill 257 is set for Feb. 10.
By Katie Maloney, SPLC staff writer
