Journalists like to pretend that there is something sacred about what they do, sometimes in a vain attempt to elevate their profession to that of a lawyer or medical doctor. The truth of the matter is that they are nothing of the sort.
I've never heard a compelling argument for why a "journalist" deserves some special legal protection for something that could potentially expose your average citizen to criminal prosecution.
They had an interesting landmark case here in New Jersey in recent months. The judge in this case decided that a local housewife who posted a lot of material on the internet as part of a crusade to root out corruption in county government was protected by the state's "shield law." I thought it was a great decision. If some @sshole with a press credential from the New York Times or CNN is protected under a "shield law," then I should be protected, too.
Concur