Press Protection For Bloggers?

[truthpusher]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/02/national/main671144.shtml

Press Protection For Bloggers?

Feb. 2, 2005
(Christian Science Monitor) This story was written by Randy Dotinga of The Christian Science Monitor.

(snip)

Are they journalists with an obligation to check facts, run corrections, and disclose conflicts of interest? Or are they ordinary opinion-slingers, like barbers or bartenders, with no special responsibilities — or rights?

Even in a country where most citizens probably have no idea what a blog is, it's not just an academic debate. Bloggers, some observers say, are becoming major players in everything from national politics to consumer trends. As a result, "their conflicts, motives, and agendas matter enormously," says Zephyr Teachout, who served as Internet director for the Howard Dean campaign.

Now in California, a court will soon decide whether bloggers have the same legal protections as journalists under "shield" laws that protect reporters from revealing their sources. Among Apple's targets is a 19-year-old blogger who twice recently leaked information about new company products weeks before Apple unveiled the products themselves.

complete story here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/02/national/main671144.shtml

[DCDemo]

1. I think Al Giordino (sp) won legal precedent for this

Something like regularly published web publications are indeed, journalism, and that they are entitled to complete press protections under the First Amendment.

It was his case regarding NarcoNews, and, as I recall, a large defense contractor like Dyncorp.