A U.S.Supreme Court ruling suggests that a journalist may legally broadcast an anonymously provided recording of a conversation even if the recording was obtained illegally.

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In the case of Bartnicki v. Vopper, the Supreme Court ruled that a radio station could not be punished for broadcasting an illegally recorded phone call provided by an anonymous source as it was a matter of public concern and the radio station did not participate in the illegal recording itself. This decision suggests that journalists may legally broadcast anonymously provided recordings even if they were obtained illegally, as long as the journalists themselves did not participate in the illegal recording.

A USSupreme Court Ruling Suggests That a Journalist May Legally Broadcast