The bill’s sponsors have even changed portions of the bill to allow for exceptions involving threats to national security and bodily harm to make it more palatable to the administration to no avail.

The legislation “is not about protecting reporters. It is about protecting the public's right to know,” said Mike Pence, R-Ind.

Failure to pass the bill would also mean that potential sources are far less likely to come forward if they doubt that reporters will keep their identity secret.

Assistant Attorney General Rachel Brand points out, however, that the broad definition of journalists, which includes bloggers, could cause significant problems for federal investigators and that almost anyone could claim to be a blogger and hide behind the media shield.

Source: Editor & Publisher