"Bloggers" Rule

?Bloggers? have come into their own. It?s gonna get wild out there as election time draws near. Even if I don?t recall why I don?t like someone, if I quote an ?unnamed source? I can trash them, or on the other hand, unbridle the story telling with abundant adjectives and assist in making someone a king/queen.

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In a decision that could set the tone for journalism in the digital age, a California appeals court ruled Friday that bloggers, like traditional reporters, have the right to keep their sources confidential.

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The decision by the state Court of Appeal in San Jose, which reverses a ruling by the Santa Clara County Superior Court, speaks to changes in the way news is gathered and published. Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can now be a reporter. It also means that information, not limited by region or resources, can reach far and wide via the Web.

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-------In addition, the judges ruled that, in the digital age, bloggers' e-mails should also be protected, just like a telephone call or written document.-----------

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-------"What makes a journalist a journalist is not the format. If you're engaged in journalism, you're a journalist. You have to look beyond the medium selected."

Read on: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/05/27/MNGTGJ3K7S1.DTL

Free blog sites are available in many places on the www. Last week I couldn?t spell ?journalist?, now I can be one. ?Journalist?, sounds great, without a degree or press credentials. Guess I better ?activate? my spell checker, if I?m gonna be a perfesionol. Good times are here again.