Questionable Procedure.

Abstract

This article discusses issues surrounding the coverage of a federal shield law in the U.S. Increases in blogging and citizen journalism raise concerns about whether law enforcement would be able to function if a broad definition allowed nearly anyone to claim coverage. At the same time, creating too narrow a scope would be detrimental to free press if it resulted in a form of government licensing. The article presents a portion of the 2005 Pulliam Kilgore Report discussing how some existing federal laws define journalists and the implications for a federal shield law. INSET: High-profile cases shed shed light on the battle for a federal....