Blog
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Pennsylvania Shield Law
Q: Are there any laws that protect the identity of confidential sources, and what do these laws mean for journalists in our newsroom? A: Pennsylvania’s Shield Law offers robust protection against compelled disclosure of confidential source information, and federal law offers more limited protections based on a qualified right under the First Amendment. The Pennsylvania…
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paula knudsen burke, esq
SPEAKER PROFILE Paula Knudsen Burke is a RCFP Local Legal Initiative staff attorney. She joined the Reporters Committee in 2020 from LNP Media Group, Inc. A licensed Pennsylvania attorney for two decades, Paula has worked in both the legal and media fields. In 2017, she helped launch The Caucus, a watchdog publication covering state government…
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Melissa Melewsky, Esq.
SPEAKER PROFILE Melissa Melewsky is Media Law Counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. She provides legal advice and advocacy to newspapers across the Commonwealth on a wide range of legal topics affecting the newspaper industry. Melissa also advocates for newspapers as an amicus curiae in the Pennsylvania judicial system in cases affecting the newspaper industry…
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Access to Warrants
Q: Which rules govern public access to arrest and search warrants and their supporting documentation, like affidavits of probable cause? A: Public access to arrest and search warrants is governed by the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, which must be applied consistent with the constitutional and common law presumption of access that attaches to judicial…
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Biosolids: “It’s All About Nutrients and Economics”
Complimentary article for PNA members In partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Association, the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association is providing this article to our members to publish in print or online at no cost. Using biosolids as a fertilizer has provided the region’s field crops with a variety of economic and environmental benefits, including increases in soil…
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Biosolids Download
COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE FOR PNA MEMBERS Biosolids: “It’s All About Nutrients and Economics” In partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Association, the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association is providing this article to our members to publish in print or online at no cost. Using biosolids as a fertilizer has provided the region’s field crops with a variety of economic…