Sen. Ellis backs off journalist shield law
The proposed journalist shield law has been pulled by its sponsor, state Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston):
A proposed shield law for journalists fizzled Monday in the Senate when the sponsor backed off the measure after it ran into hostility from other lawmakers opposed to special protections for reporters and their sources.
Texas newspapers and broadcasters had joined forces this year to push for a bill to protect reporters from having to testify in court or disclose confidential sources. Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have shield law statutes and Congress is considering whether to enact a federal law.
Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, sponsored the measure but was resisted by senators unwilling to cross their local district attorneys who are reluctant to close any doors that might help a criminal investigation.
When the bill was amended to weaken the protection for reporters and sources, Ellis decided to end debate and pulled the bill down from consideration.
News executives who pushed for the shield law were upset over its apparent demise this session.
Wanda Cash, president of the Texas Press Association and editor and publisher of The Baytown Sun, said the proposed bill was designed to protect confidential sources who may not be willing to provide critical information if they fear their identity could be exposed.
"Shield bills are really about protecting the free flow of information, but that gets lost in the debate when you have prosecutors saying they won't be able to get the bad guys if reporters are allowed to keep secrets," Cash said.
Broadcasters have long supported a shield law because TV and radio journalists are subpoenaed more often for their videotapes and other recorded materials than print reporters are for their notes.
The Chronicle won't be pleased.
We previously wrote about the shield law here, here, here and here.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 05/10/05 05:15 PM | Houston Media | Print | Comments (0)
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