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On free speech and blogging: The First Amendment applies to everyone, not just journalists
GigaOM ^ | 01/19/2014 | Mathew Ingram

Posted on 01/21/2014 7:59:31 AM PST by aimhigh

An appeals court has struck a blow for free speech and freedom of the press by ruling that First Amendment protection should be available to bloggers, regardless of whether they fit the definition of who qualifies as a journalist.
. . .

Legislators who have been trying to design a “shield law” for journalists have been doing their best to specify who should be protected from government interference, but as journalism professor Jay Rosen and others have argued, it is the content itself that requires protecting, not some specific group of professional journalists who are able to fill in the correct checkboxes.

(Excerpt) Read more at gigaom.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism
KEYWORDS: blogging; firstamendment; freespeech

1 posted on 01/21/2014 7:59:31 AM PST by aimhigh
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To: aimhigh

To my knowledge, this is the first correct decision ever issued by the 9th circuit court.


2 posted on 01/21/2014 8:03:53 AM PST by Maceman
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To: Maceman

what do they mean by struck a blow for free speech? it’s a good ruling, yes? so is struck a blow FOR free speech good or bad? the wording is odd to me...


3 posted on 01/21/2014 8:13:33 AM PST by latina4dubya (when i have money i buy books... if i have anything left, i buy 6-inch heels and a bottle of wine...)
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To: aimhigh

We are becoming a modern day Medieval Europe with their protective Guilds designed to shield the well connected and keep out the riff-raff.


4 posted on 01/21/2014 8:18:58 AM PST by Iron Munro (Orwell: There are some ideas so absurd that only an intellectual could believe them.)
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To: aimhigh

It is preposterous to claim that the First Amendment applies only to “journalists.” The amendment protects freedom of THE PRESS, and SPEECH. Even if one were to claim that “the press” means “journalists” (which it does not) there’s that freedom of SPEECH.


5 posted on 01/21/2014 8:21:04 AM PST by Arthur McGowan
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To: Arthur McGowan
It is preposterous to claim that the First Amendment applies only to “journalists.”

This is similar to liberals claiming the 2nd Amendment applies only to the (professional) militia.

6 posted on 01/21/2014 8:22:38 AM PST by aimhigh
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To: latina4dubya

Must have been written by a journalist with “the proper credentials”.


7 posted on 01/21/2014 8:31:24 AM PST by Rusty0604
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To: aimhigh

Awesome. I have been arguing this for some time. For some reason the Fifth Estate thinks the First Amendment exclusively applies to them. It doesn’t.


8 posted on 01/21/2014 8:43:28 AM PST by Sam Gamgee (May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't. - Patton)
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To: latina4dubya
the wording is odd to me...

It was odd to me too. I read that sentence four times trying to make sense out of it.
9 posted on 01/21/2014 8:59:57 AM PST by Shannon
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To: aimhigh

According to the Left:

Freedom of speech only applies to paychecked journalists, and remember “FOX is not a real news outlet”.

Freedom to be armed only applies to the police and the military.

Freedom of religion only applies to priests and nuns (sometimes).

The freedom to be secure in our persons, communications, and property simply doesn’t exist at all.


10 posted on 01/21/2014 9:21:36 AM PST by SampleMan (Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)
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