If this bill passes the Senate it just might do that.

“A bill that for the first time would give journalists limited protection from efforts to force them to reveal their sources in the federal courts will be taken up by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, and its sponsors said its prospects are good.

“It’s balanced, particularly when it comes to national security,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, who is sponsoring the bill with Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania. As a consequence, Mr. Schumer said, “this bill can pass.”

The bill is a compromise, with exceptions to the protection in cases of possible terror attacks or harm to national security. It gives reporters less protection than a bill approved by the House Judiciary Committee in August and an earlier measure sponsored by Senators Richard G. Lugar, Republican of Indiana, and Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, which will also be addressed Thursday.

The new bill, like the earlier measures, has the support of scores of news organizations, including The New York Times.”

Well of course!  Why not?  I mean who more than anybody has divulged our national secrets to the world?   Actually though, the DOJ will oppose the bill simply on the fact that it is unnecessary and will hamper prosecution of leakers.   No one - even the grey lady - has the right to leak classified information for any reason, much less during war time.

One note of interest any new law will not protect anyone targeted by the Grand Jury Probe in Va, that is nearing the eighteen-month mark.