Am I a journalist? I certainly don't feel like one. I have never broken a story, reported live from a battlezone or interviewed a politician or person of the moment. If the answer is no, what would make me a journalist? Would it be access to press events? Recognition by others? Is any blogger a journalist? In my opinion, I am not a member of the press. I am simply someone who has some ideas that he is lucky enough to be able to share with the public. However, some bloggers do believe that they are journalists, and many are beginning to look more and more like the traditional model of the paid journalist, a fact which could prove the pivotal point in upcoming litigation.
Jason Chen, an editor of the site Gizmodo, had property confiscated yesterday in relation to a possible theft. Gizmodo focuses on technology, and the property in question was a next generation iPhone that Chen bought from someone who 'found' it in a bar for $5,000. Though there are many points of law that could be disputed in this case, from search and seizure to property doctrines of finders to others, the most interesting aspect could be the treatment of Chen, who could be a bit more protected if given the status of a journalist. It may be that this issue is never resolved during the process. However, if it is, and the court finds that Chen is a journalist, it could be an interesting embrace of just how much the media has evolved in the internet age.
UPDATE: More background info for the curious.
No comments:
Post a Comment