Nevada’s shield law protects journalists from being forced to disclose communications with confidential sources who contribute information for a news story but who choose to remain anonymous. The law allows reporters to write news stories read by Las Vegas residents without fear of government sanctions.
A reporter for the New York Times is fighting a federal judge’s order directing him to testify in a criminal trial to reveal the name of the government source that leaked information to him. Unlike Nevada, there is no federal law to protect a journalist who receives unauthorized leaks of government information.
It's important to keep confidential sources. If those sources didn't exist, journalists wouldn't be able to help people fight corruption. It's a part of our government's checks and balances.
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