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A shield law is legislation designed to protect reporters' privilege. This privilege involves the right of news reporters to refuse to testify as to the information and/or sources of information obtained during the news gathering and dissemination process. Currently, the U.S. federal government has not enacted any national shield laws, but most of the 50 states do have shield laws or other protections for reporters in place.
More generally the term "shield law" is applied to laws protecting people in one state from prosecution by another state for providing services illegal there, specifically for providing medications causing abortion.