Friday, May 05, 2006
Conn. House gives final passage to shield bill
This one is both good and bad...
HARTFORD — Although politicians and journalists are rarely seen on the same side of anything, it took the state legislature on the last day of this year's session to give reporters the legal right to protect their sources.
The bill defines a reporter as someone who works for a newspaper, magazine, radio or television station, or electronic media. The Senate had considered excluding blog writers and limiting protections to people with journalism degrees, but later removed both provisions.
(Original Source- News Times)
First, the good:
The Connecticut State house has extended legitimacy to Bloggers and internet writers. this is a good thing as it extends the political free speech that the founders expected to the electronic world. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever that an internet writer should be exempt from political freedom of speech. There isn't a THING different between the concept of political tract writing of the sort that the Founders wanted to protect and the work of a political Blogger today.
The bad:
However, this bill seems to go a bit too far, making such writers totally untouchable. There is no reason that a reporter or writer should be above the law. Political free speech should not trump libel laws or laws that proscribe the release of government secrets that affect national security.
Still, it is good to see internet writing being considered 'legitimate" by more and more people and governments.
Qualify this a marginal win.
-Warner Todd Huston
# posted by Publius @ 5/05/2006 12:45:00 AM 
|
