Confidentiality and Shield Laws: Branzburg v. Hayes
Paul Branzburg was a news reporter who published stories about drug abuse in Kentucky (Calvert, C & Pember, 2011). The court asked him in 1971 to testify about sources that were obviously breaking the law by handling and trafficking in illegal substances but he declined citing source confidentiality (Calvert, C & Pember). Paul Pappas was a news reporter in Massachusetts who was asked to testify before a grand jury concerning sources within the Black Panthers (Calvert, C & Pember). The third journalist involved was Earl Caldwell who was also asked to testify about the Black Panthers before a Grand Jury (Calvert, C & ...
