Senate Dem revives media shield law
Senate Dem seeks to revive media shield days after news of gov't obtaining AP records
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A top Senate Democrat plans to revive legislation that would protect journalists and their employers from revealing their sources, days after it was revealed that the Justice Department secretly obtained Associated Press phone records.
A congressional official said Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York plans to reintroduce the 2009 bill. The legislation stalled in Congress in past years.
The government obtained the records from April and May of 2012 for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists, including main offices. AP's top executive called the action a massive and unprecedented intrusion into how news organizations do their work.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to publicly discuss the senator's plans.
