Bloggers would "probably not" be considered journalists under the proposed federal shield law, the bill's co-sponsor, U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R.-Ind.), told the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) Monday afternoon.
I've written before about the dangers of government assuming it gets to decide who an authorized journalist is.
We've seen a politically disfavored newspaper publisher denied entry to a Homeland Secury press conference.
We've explored instances where bloggers have covered vital liberty-related stories ignored by the "official" press.
We've seen judges presume to weigh in.
At the federal and state level.
I personally have been subjected to police harassment for asking Sarah Brady a question at my neighborhood park. And I personally have shielded the identity of a source in order to protect him from reprisal for information about the inner-workings of a government agency. On more than one occasion. (In the interest of full disclosure, I now have a press pass issued by
We've seen judges presume to weigh in.
At the federal and state level.
I personally have been subjected to police harassment for asking Sarah Brady a question at my neighborhood park. And I personally have shielded the identity of a source in order to protect him from reprisal for information about the inner-workings of a government agency. On more than one occasion. (In the interest of full disclosure, I now have a press pass issued by
I personally have been subjected to police harassment for asking Sarah Brady a question at my neighborhood park. And I personally have shielded the identity of a source in order to protect him from reprisal for information about the inner-workings of a government agency. On more than one occasion. (In the interest of full disclosure, I now have a press pass issued by my magazine publisher--but the majority of my writing was done before this, and I don't believe a card should give me privileges and immunities over other bloggers--plus there's no guarantee the government would consider writing for a gun magazine to be "legitimate" journalism.)
And we've seen how "establishment" media, like Reuters, are little more than propaganda outlets.
Dick Lugar can go to hell.
And we've seen how "establishment" media, like Reuters, are little more than propaganda outlets.
Dick Lugar can go to hell.