Editorial: Shield law to help journalists protect sources is essential

It is no exaggeration to say that journalists’ ability to keep their sources confidential is essential to the proper functioning of our democracy. 
Whistleblowers are much less likely to share information about nefarious deeds if they have reason to fear for their jobs, or even their lives, if their identity is revealed. Without help from insiders, journalists would never have been able to uncover any number of abuses, or highlight situations calling for corrective action. If such mat