Comments about ‘A good shield for reporters’

Legal privileges serve an important role in law and society. But they assume that those who are covered by the legal privilege -- such as journalists and the sources they claim to have -- are always truthful.

As you must know, there have been instances when a reporter claims to have had reliable information from an important "source" upon which he bases his story, but in fact he doesn't, and innocent people are hurt as a result. You don't deal with that possibility in your opinion piece. How would you suggest the courts deal with that issue, and why do you avoid dealing with it?