HB 2176 -- Disclosure of News Sources

Sponsor:  Harris (23)

This bill protects certain individuals and media entities from
being required to disclose in any state or federal
administrative, civil, or criminal proceeding the source of any
published or unpublished information obtained by the individual
or entity.  The party seeking the source of the information may
petition the circuit court of the county where the proceeding is
located for a court order to require the individual to disclose
his or her source.  The court, in making its decision, must
consider the nature of the proceeding, the merits of the claim or
defense, the adequacy of other available alternatives, the
possibility of establishing by other means that which it is
alleged the source or information will tend to prove, the public
interest in protecting the confidential source as balanced
against the public interest in requiring disclosure, and the
relevancy of the source or information.  The court is authorized
to compel disclosure of the information if it does not involve
any information required to be kept secret under federal or state
law and the disclosure is essential to the protection of the
public interest involved in the proceeding.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:12 pm