Minn. Stat. » CHAPTER 595. WITNESSES
Minnesota Statutes

Minn. Stat. § 595.022 (2026)

Public Policy

✓ current as of May 2026
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In order to protect the public interest and the free flow of information, the news media should have the benefit of a substantial privilege not to reveal sources of information or to disclose unpublished information. To this end, the freedom of press requires protection of the confidential relationship between the news gatherer and the source of information. The purpose of sections 595.021 to 595.025 is to insure and perpetuate, consistent with the public interest, the confidential relationship between the news media and its sources.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 15 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1989–2025 · leading case: Weinberger v. Maplewood Review, 668 N.W.2d 667 (Minn. 2003).
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Weinberger v. Maplewood Review, 668 N.W.2d 667 (Minn. 2003). · cites it 16× “" Minn.Stat. § 595.022. This privilege protects any person "who is or has been directly engaged in the gathering, procuring, compiling, editing, or publishing of information for the purpose of transmission, dissemination or publication to the public.”
State v. Turner, 550 N.W.2d 622 (Minn. 1996). · cites it 4× “Section 595.022 states the purpose of the Act: In order to protect the public interest and the free flow of information, the news media should have the benefit of a substantial privilege not to reveal sources of information or to disclose unpublished information.”
Cohen v. Cowles Media Co., 445 N.W.2d 248 (Minn. Ct. App. 1989). · cites it 4× “Were we not to enforce the newspapers' promises of confidentiality, confidential sources would have no legal recourse against unscrupulous reporters or editors. Ultimately, news sources could dry up, resulting in less newsworthy information to publish.”
Heaslip v. Freeman, 511 N.W.2d 21 (Minn. Ct. App. 1994). · cites it 2× “Minn.Stat. § 595.022 (1992). The newspaper focuses on the first sentence of this section.”
Range Dev. Co. of Chisholm v. Star Tribune, Paul McEnroe, 885 N.W.2d 500 (Minn. Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 4× “” Minn.Stat. § 595.022. The public-policy provision of the act provides: In order to protect the public interest and the free flow of information, the news media should have the , benefit of a substantial privilege not to reveal sources of information or to disclose unpublished…”
State v. Knutson, 523 N.W.2d 909 (Minn. Ct. App. 1994). · cites it 4× “Here, the statutory language of Minn.Stat. § 595.022 (1992) (referring broadly to “news media” and “news gatherer”) and Minn.”
Weinberger v. Maplewood Review, 648 N.W.2d 249 (Minn. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 4× “” Minn.Stat. § 595.022 (2000). To this end, the legislature determined that “the ireedom of press requires protection of the confidential relationship between the news gatherer and the source of information” and that this protection should consist of the news media having the…”
Bauer v. Gannett Co., Inc.(KARE 11), 557 N.W.2d 608 (Minn. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 4× “News reporters frequently rely on informants to gather news, and the offer of confidentiality is often a prerequisite to an informant’s cooperation.”
State v. Knutson, 539 N.W.2d 254 (Minn. Ct. App. 1995). · cites it 2× “The newspaper in Heaslip invoked Minn.Stat. § 595.022 (1992), which reads: In order to protect the public interest and the free flow of information, the news media should have the benefit of a substantial privilege not to reveal sources of information or to disclose unpublished…”
Berglund v. City of Maplewood, MN, 173 F. Supp. 2d 935 (D. Minnesota 2001). · cites it 2× “” Minn.Stat. § 595.022. Here, plaintiffs assert no confidential relationship and identify no source that they aim to protect by asserting rights under the Act.”
Arneson v. Nienaber, 742 N.W.2d 686 (Minn. Ct. App. 2007). · cites it 2× “” Minn.Stat. § 595.022. Minn. Stat. § 595.024 sets forth the procedure for applying to the district court to seek disclosure of unpublished information from the news media.”
Energy Transfer LP (formerly known as Energy Transfer Equity, L.P.) v. Greenpeace Int'l ..., 7 N.W.3d 153 (Minn. Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 2× “” Minn. Stat. § 595.022 . To that end, the MFFIA prohibits the disclosure of certain protected materials.”
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