[JURIST] A bill seeking to impose stricter standards on federal courts before they can issue subpoenas to reporters was introduced in the US House Wednesday. According to Congressman Mike Pence [official profile, press release on new bill], the Free Flow of Information Act seeks to make mandatory Justice Department guidelines for issuing subpoenas to members of the media and provides protection against compelled disclosure of confidential sources. According to the DOJ standards, prosecutors or courts must exhaust all efforts to obtain information from alternative sources before compelling the testimony of reporters. Pence said the measure is in response to several instances last year of reporters being served or threatened with jail sentences for refusing to reveal confidential sources. AP has more.