Quote Of The Day

July 3rd, 2012

"When public men indulge themselves in abuse, when they deny others a fair trial, when they resort to innuendo and insinuation, to libel, scandal, and suspicion, then our democratic society is outraged, and democracy is baffled."

-- J. William Fulbright

Blogger "Not A Journalist"?

Dec 9th, 2011
by F. Grey Parker

The citizen journalist is an increasingly accepted component of the news cycle in our world. Small groups or single individuals, often without traditional financial backing and with only the internet as a medium, have had a tremendous impact on our awareness and understanding of events.

Sometimes, these independent reporters are essential. This has been the case with the coverage of ongoing atrocities in Syria. Other examples are certainly less urgent. Some are even infuriating (think James O'Keefe). But, this all journalism.

As a blogger who has occasionally used an anonymous source or two, a recent legal decision from Oregon sends a chill down my spine. AP reports:

"A federal judge in Oregon has ruled that a Montana woman sued for defamation was not a journalist when she posted online that an Oregon lawyer acted criminally during a bankruptcy case, a decision with implications for bloggers around the country."