Answer: B - The Privacy Protection Act of 1980 provides the newspaper with protections against searches and seizures by the government, including law enforcement. Media outlets are considered the press as they disseminate information to the public. Unless the press organization is suspected of a crime or a life-threatening situation exists, the media company is not obligated to comply with the warrant.
This law stems from a case filed by The Stanford Daily. The newspaper claimed protections to a warrant under First and Fourth Amendments of the United States Constitution. The newspaper asserted that this type of search would have fallen under a subpoena discovery request rather than a warrant. Although the Supreme Court ruled against the Plaintiff in this case, legislatures later enacted the Privacy Protection Act of 1980.
