2A:84A-21 - Newspaperman's privilege - New Jersey Statutes

2A:84A-21.  Newspaperman's privilege
    Rule 27.

    Subject to Rule 37, a person engaged on, engaged in, connected with, or employed by news media for the purpose of gathering, procuring, transmitting, compiling, editing or disseminating news for the general public or on whose behalf news is so gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated has a privilege to refuse to disclose, in any legal or quasi-legal  proceeding or before any investigative body, including, but not limited to, any  court, grand jury, petit jury, administrative agency, the Legislature or  legislative committee, or elsewhere.

    a.  The source, author, means, agency or person from or through whom any information was procured, obtained, supplied, furnished, gathered, transmitted,  compiled, edited, disseminated, or delivered;  and

    b.  Any news or information obtained in the course of pursuing his professional activities whether or not it is disseminated.

    The provisions of this rule insofar as it relates to radio or television stations shall not apply unless the radio or television station maintains and keeps open for inspection, for a period of at least 1 year from the date of an actual broadcast or telecast, an exact recording, transcription, kinescopic film or certified written transcript of the actual broadcast or telecast.

     L.1960, c. 52, p. 458, s. 21, eff. July 1, 1960.  Amended by L. 1977, c. 253,  s. 1, eff. Oct. 5, 1977.