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Newspaper and broadcast editors press committee for statutory shield law to protect sources

5571333 · July 15, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Publishers, journalists and press‑freedom groups told the Judiciary Committee that Massachusetts needs a statutory reporter shield law to protect confidential sources and avoid costly legal fights; publishers gave examples of subpoenas and legal fees.

Representatives of newspaper publishers, TV newsrooms and press‑freedom organizations urged the Joint Committee to enact a statutory "shield law" protecting journalists from compelled disclosure of confidential sources and unpublished information. Dan Krockmalnick (Boston Globe Media) and Fred Rutberg (New England Newspapers) told the committee that the absence of a settled statutory standard forces newsrooms into expensive litigation and chills public‑interest…

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