Bill > H1595

This bill establishes comprehensive legal protections for journalists and their sources in Massachusetts by creating clear definitions and privileges for confidential journalistic communications. The bill defines a journalist broadly as anyone gathering news for public dissemination, including bloggers and podcasters, and defines news as information of public interest about local, national, or international events. It creates an absolute privilege protecting journalists from being forced to reveal the identity of confidential sources in any legal proceeding. For unpublished information (such as notes, photographs, or other work products), the bill establishes a qualified privilege, meaning such information can only be compelled if the requesting party can prove the information is material, relevant, necessary, and cannot be obtained through alternative means. The bill includes important exceptions, such as allowing disclosure to prevent imminent harm like death or serious injury. Critically, the law applies to all legal proceedings in Massachusetts, including criminal, civil, administrative, and grand jury hearings, and provides additional protections in criminal proceedings to ensure that a journalist cannot be forced to disclose information unless it is directly necessary to prove or disprove a criminal act involving direct harm to an individual.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1595