The First Amendment doesn't say that reporters are special, it says that whoever who wants to can be a reporter if they can pay for their paper and ink. Now as the Internet competes with print, virtual "paper and ink" is virtually free.There is no justification for assigning special rights to people because they are doing something (reporting) that anyone is entitled to do. It is elitism to do so for the NY Times reporter and not for the Free Repubic poster.
Excellent point.