Senate panel OKs measure defining a journalist

[The Straight Story]

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel on Thursday approved legislation designed to protect reporters and the news media from having to reveal their confidential sources after narrowing the definition of a journalist while establishing which formats — traditional and online — provide news to people worldwide.

On a 13-5 vote, the Judiciary Committee cleared the way for the full Senate to consider the measure. The vote came just months after the disclosure that the Justice Department had secretly subpoenaed almost two months' worth of telephone records for 21 phone lines used by reporters and editors for The Associated Press and secretly used a search warrant to obtain some emails of a Fox News journalist.

The protections would apply to "covered journalist," defined as an employee, independent contractor or agent of an entity that disseminates news or information. The individual would have to have been employed for one year within the last 20 or three months within the last five years.

It would apply to student journalists or someone with a considerable amount of freelance work in the last five years. A federal judge also would have the discretion to declare an individual a "covered journalist," who would be granted the privileges of the law.

The compromise also says that information is only privileged if it is disseminated by a news medium, described as "newspaper, nonfiction book, wire service, news agency, news website, mobile application or other news or information service (whether distributed digitally or otherwise); news program, magazine or other periodical, whether in print, electronic or other format; or thorough television or radio broadcast . or motion picture for public showing."

While the definition covers traditional and online media, it draws the line at posts on Twitter, blogs or social media from non-journalists.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/12/senate-panel-defines-journalist/2806645/

[grasswire]

1. shutting out bloggers and citizen reporters?

hmmmm-- in this digital age?

[Autumn]

2. Well theres a big steaming pile of bull shit.

Last edited Thu Sep 12, 2013, 07:58 PM - Edit history (1)

rec

[KittyWampus]

3. Randi Rhodes used to argue for something like this. IIRC.

[kenny blankenship]

4. Capital sponsored, Govt licensed requirement for all "news" now

Here we go.

Forget Fucking idiots burning Qurans down in Florida,

YOUR CONSTITUTION IS ON FIRE, AMERICA.

Stop, drop and roll!

[LittleBlue]

5. The first step to a totalitarian state

Approved government media, here we come.

[Wilms]

6. .

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. This is so dangerous it is not even funny.