(H/T – Paleo Conservative at Free Republic)
In an attempt to shield reporters from having to disclose their confidential sources, Texas Senator Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) very pointedly sought to exclude bloggers from this protection. The Houston Chronicle has the money quote – “It does not cover the garden-variety blogger sitting in their pajamas at home ranting and raving on the computer.” Houston, we have a problem, and it’s not just this politico’s derision for his constituents.
There is a back-door method to gain this protection, however. From the text of the bill (which is poised to pass the Texas Senate):
Sec. 22.021. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
….
(2) “Journalist” means a person who for financial
gain, for a substantial portion of the person’s livelihood, or for
subscription purposes gathers, compiles, prepares, collects,
photographs, records, writes, edits, reports, investigates,
processes, or publishes news or information that is disseminated by
a news medium or communication service provider and includes:
(A) a person who supervises or assists in
gathering, preparing, and disseminating the news or information;
(B) a person who is or has been a journalist,
scholar, or researcher employed by an institution of higher
education; or
(C) a person who is on a professional track to
earn a significant portion of the person’s livelihood by obtaining
or preparing information for dissemination by a news medium or an
agent, assistant, employee, or supervisor of that person.
(3) “News medium” means a newspaper, magazine or
periodical, book publisher, news agency, wire service, radio or
television station or network, cable, satellite, or other
transmission system or carrier or channel, or a channel or
programming service for a station, network, system, or carrier, or
an audio or audiovisual production company or Internet company or
provider, or the parent, subsidiary, division, or affiliate of that
entity, that disseminates news or information to the public by any
means, including:
(A) print;
(B) television;
(C) radio;
(D) photographic;
(E) mechanical;
(F) electronic; and
(G) other means, known or unknown, that are
accessible to the public.
Revisons/extensions (8:14 am 4/30/2007) – Get me more caffeine; I completely forgot to add the ironic title of this piece of rotted sausage – “The Free Flow of Information Act”.
