Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 12-2506
This is the official text of Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 12-2506, part of Oklahoma’s Stat. tit. 12, — part of the compiled statutory law of Oklahoma, published by the state as "Stat. tit. 12,." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Journalist’s privilege
Official statutory text
A. As used in this section:
1. "State proceeding" includes any proceeding or investigation
before or by any judicial, legislative, executive or administrative
body in this state;
2. "Medium of communication" includes any newspaper, magazine,
other periodical, book, pamphlet, news service, wire service, news
or feature syndicate, broadcast station or network, cable television
system, or record;
3. "Information" includes any written, oral or pictorial news
or other record;
4. "Published information" means any information disseminated
to the public by the person from whom disclosure is sought;
5. "Unpublished information" includes information not
disseminated to the public by the person from whom disclosure is
sought, whether or not related information has been disseminated,
and includes, but is not limited to, all notes, outtakes,
photographs, tapes or other data of whatever sort not itself
disseminated to the public through a medium of communication,
whether or not published information based upon or related to such
material has been disseminated;
6. "Processing" includes compiling, storing and editing of
information; and
7. "Journalist" means any person who is a reporter,
photographer, editor, commentator, journalist, correspondent,
announcer, or other individual regularly engaged in obtaining,
writing, reviewing, editing, or otherwise preparing news for any
newspaper, periodical, press association, newspaper syndicate, wire
service, radio or television station, or other news service. Any
individual employed by any such news service in the performance of
Oklahoma Statutes - Title 12. Civil Procedure Page 459
any of the above-mentioned activities shall be deemed to be
regularly engaged in such activities. However, journalist shall not
include any governmental entity or individual employed thereby
engaged in official governmental information activities.
B. No journalist shall be required to disclose in a state
proceeding either:
1. The source of any published or unpublished information
obtained in the gathering, receiving or processing of information
for any medium of communication to the public; or
2. Any unpublished information obtained or prepared in
gathering, receiving or processing of information for any medium of
communication to the public; unless the court finds that the party
seeking the information or identity has established by clear and
convincing evidence that such information or identity is relevant to
a significant issue in the action and could not with due diligence
be obtained by alternate means.
This subsection does not apply with respect to the content or
source of allegedly defamatory information, in a civil action for
defamation wherein the defendant asserts a defense based on the
content or source of such information.
1. "State proceeding" includes any proceeding or investigation
before or by any judicial, legislative, executive or administrative
body in this state;
2. "Medium of communication" includes any newspaper, magazine,
other periodical, book, pamphlet, news service, wire service, news
or feature syndicate, broadcast station or network, cable television
system, or record;
3. "Information" includes any written, oral or pictorial news
or other record;
4. "Published information" means any information disseminated
to the public by the person from whom disclosure is sought;
5. "Unpublished information" includes information not
disseminated to the public by the person from whom disclosure is
sought, whether or not related information has been disseminated,
and includes, but is not limited to, all notes, outtakes,
photographs, tapes or other data of whatever sort not itself
disseminated to the public through a medium of communication,
whether or not published information based upon or related to such
material has been disseminated;
6. "Processing" includes compiling, storing and editing of
information; and
7. "Journalist" means any person who is a reporter,
photographer, editor, commentator, journalist, correspondent,
announcer, or other individual regularly engaged in obtaining,
writing, reviewing, editing, or otherwise preparing news for any
newspaper, periodical, press association, newspaper syndicate, wire
service, radio or television station, or other news service. Any
individual employed by any such news service in the performance of
Oklahoma Statutes - Title 12. Civil Procedure Page 459
any of the above-mentioned activities shall be deemed to be
regularly engaged in such activities. However, journalist shall not
include any governmental entity or individual employed thereby
engaged in official governmental information activities.
B. No journalist shall be required to disclose in a state
proceeding either:
1. The source of any published or unpublished information
obtained in the gathering, receiving or processing of information
for any medium of communication to the public; or
2. Any unpublished information obtained or prepared in
gathering, receiving or processing of information for any medium of
communication to the public; unless the court finds that the party
seeking the information or identity has established by clear and
convincing evidence that such information or identity is relevant to
a significant issue in the action and could not with due diligence
be obtained by alternate means.
This subsection does not apply with respect to the content or
source of allegedly defamatory information, in a civil action for
defamation wherein the defendant asserts a defense based on the
content or source of such information.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Oklahoma?
Find a Oklahoma lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.