Is there a journalist to journalist privilege?

[spotbird]

Say a journalist shares the leaked information with another journalist or other coworker. Are those who received the information secondhand protected by the privilege also? If a journalist shares information he heard in confidence is he/she still protected by the privilege?

If a client allows someone into a conference with a lawyer they have waived their privilege, I wonder if a similar principle would apply here? I know that I heard Scooter's name months ago on some pundit show, so there is talk within the business.

I know that this is hearsay within hearsay, which would be a problem at trial, but that is a separate issue.

[rman]

1. not the journalist but the leaker should be on trial. n/t

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[muriel_volestrangler]

2. What is the original 'privilege'?

what law defines what a 'journalist' is, and then says they have some special privileges?

[spotbird]

3. I don't know that either.

But since the journalists claim a privilege shouldn't the rules that apply to established privileges also apply? Or is their position that they are in such a special group that they get to make the rules up as they go along?