What is true about shield laws as described?

• A. 49 states, including the District of Columbia, have shield laws; Wyoming does not.
• B. All states lack shield laws.
• C. Wyoming alone has shield laws.
• D. Shield laws apply only to private companies.

Answer: (A)

Shield laws provide a journalist's privilege that protects confidential sources and unpublished material from being disclosed in court. These protections are created at the state level, and most states have them along with the District of Columbia, leaving Wyoming as the only state without a shield law. That combination is why the statement is true. It wouldn’t be accurate to say all states lack shield laws, or that Wyoming alone has them, and these laws aren’t limited to private companies—they’re about safeguarding journalists’ ability to gather and report news, with the exact scope varying by state.