On the record ...

By Cara Bayles

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A bill protecting reporters who don't reveal confidential sources is essentially dead for the session.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Alice Peisch, D-Wellesley, says such legislation could uncover stories that otherwise wouldn't get to print. "It's important that reporters are able to assure their sources that they do not need to reveal their identity," Peisch says. "Largely because I think that's critical to getting information out to the public."

"Shield laws" offering reporters statutory protections already exist in 33 states and D.C., but, Peisch says, no protections exist in the Massachusetts Constitution or at the federal level.

Peisch wasn't always familiar with the issue. "I was made aware of the concern among reporters by a couple of my constituents in the news business, Susan Wornick and Charlie Kravetz." In 1985, Wornick, a journalist at WCVB-TV, refused to reveal the identity of a source—who'd witnessed Revere police looting a store—for subpoena; she was held in contempt of court, and almost sent to jail.

Charlie Kravetz, the president of New England Cable News, says the bill is a First Amendment issue. "But it's complicated when there is a conflict between two amendments, in this case, the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, and the 14th Amendment, promising due process."

Kravetz is a member of the shield law working committee, made up of TV, newspaper, radio and wire news services statewide. The committee issued a press release Monday, stating, "Key House leadership never moved on the legislation," but Kravetz also insists this isn't an accusation of malicious intent. "Why exactly it got stuck in committee and never reported out, I don't know," he says.

The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee in January. Its reporting date was extended four times, the latest deadline being the formal session's last day. But Peisch insists there's no foul play. "The Judiciary Committee gets the highest number of bills. This had to do with the volume of bills before the committee." Peisch plans to refile the bill, which boasted more than 20 cosponsors in the House, next year.

Says Kravetz, "We're not going to give up on it."