Section 1070 of the Evidence Code is as follows: 1070. (a) A publisher, editor, reporter, or other person connected with or employed upon a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication, or by a press association or wire service, or any person who has been so connected or employed, cannot be adjudged in contempt by a judicial, legislative, administrative body, or any other body having the power to issue subpoenas, for refusing to disclose, in any proceeding as defined in Section 901, the source of any information procured while so connected or employed for publication in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical publication, or for refusing to disclose any unpublished information obtained or prepared in gathering, receiving or processing of information for communication to the public
Nothing in there about immunity for reporters buying lost or stolen property.
I guess the writer doesn't have to tell anybody who he paid the $5000 to ~ but who cares ~ it's the photos that bother Apple if not the cops.