On August 7th, the Alliance joined a brief in Las Vegas Review-Journal v. State of Nevada, filed in the Supreme Court of Nevada, in support of the Journal’s efforts to shield the confidential materials on slain journalist Jeff German’s devices from law enforcement. After Mr. German was stabbed to death outside his home in September 2022, police seized his cellphone, laptops, and a hard drive. The Journal sought a protective order preventing the district attorney and public defender from reviewing the contents of the devices, which would threaten the confidentiality of Mr. German’s sources, some of whom may be employed by law enforcement. The District Court adopted a search protocol that would allow designated law enforcement officials to review the contents of the devices. The brief, filed by RCFP, argues that the District Court’s order should be vacated as it violates Nevada’s shield law which protects a journalist’s confidential newsgathering materials. The Alliance strongly supports the protection of reporter-source confidentiality which is especially important for investigative journalism. Read more.
Charlotte McBirney is Senior Counsel and Director, Public Policy for the News/Media Alliance.
