Most states, including Illinois, have some form of a reporter-privilege statute, says Don Craven, a press rights attorney based in Springfield, Ill., who has been advising NPR Illinois on the case. Under the First Amendment, journalists generally have the right not to reveal names and details about their sources. If the government wants to obtain those names and details, Craven adds, the state’s attorney would have to subpoena the journalist, compelling them to testify before a grand jury. What’s unique here, Craven says, is that a state university is requiring Otwell to disclose information as a condition of her employment.