Compelled disclosure prohibited

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Except as provided in section 16-4703 , no judicial, legislative, administrative, or other body with the power to issue a subpoena shall compel any person who is or has been employed by the news media in a news gathering or news disseminating capacity to disclose:

(1) The source of any news or information procured by the person while employed by the news media and acting in an official news gathering capacity, whether or not the source has been promised confidentiality; or

(2) Any news or information procured by the person while employed by the news media in the course of pursuing professional activities that is not itself communicated in the news media, including any:

(A) Notes;

(B) Outtakes;

(C) Photographs or photographic negatives;

(D) Video or sound tapes;

(E) Film; or

(F) Other data, irrespective of its nature, not itself communicated in the news media.

(Sept. 26, 1992, D.C. Law 9-156, § 2, 39 DCR 5682; July 25, 1995, D.C. Law 11-30, § 4, 42 DCR 1547.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 16-4702.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 16-4703 and § 16-4704.


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