Who's a journalist?

[unixronin]

Well, according to the California Appeals Court at least, all bloggers should legally be considered journalists, and entitled to all of the protections of journalists - including the right to protect sources.

News.com article here

Full court ruling (PDF) here

Comments

[bbullock.livejournal.com]

Oh, come on. Some bloggers shouldn't even be considered people.
And you've read my journal, so you know I know of what I speak... I'm thinking of changing my subtitle to "All the crap that's fit to be left unwritten."

Not Quite

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

The court found that Apple had more productive avenues of finding the leak than going after bloggers. The court also found that public interest and welfare trump trade secret. It is not directly about bloggers being journalists. See the discussion on Groklaw (http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060526160008282) about the ruling.

It is also a state ruling, so that no court outside of the left coast need observe it. However, it is an appellate court, so the reasoning is probably worthwhile elsewhere.