Reporter’s Privilege

 Response to Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Reporters’ Privilege Article

            Bloggers are sometimes journalists, depending on the situation. While the line between bloggers and journalists seems to become more and more blurred with the growing number of internet users contributing their voice through blogging, there are several distinct differences between who is a journalist and who is providing entertainment. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s article on Reporters’ Privilege mentions, a journalist is somebody who gathers new for the purpose of reporting it to the public. This means that the writer is seeking information to share with others to inform them, not seeking information to share with others in order to receive personal gain. Also, a true journalist would interview people and use them as sources, and if that journalist shares their content on a blogging platform, that does not make them any less professional. However, not all bloggers and web media personnel have the same protection as journalists. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Shield Law Statute in Arizona does not mention web reporters in the protection laws stated that are used to offer journalists and their sources protection. Although the laws have yet to state it so, bloggers can be journalists if they publish truthful information using their own sources with the purpose of informing the public.

            In the 21^st century, it is incredibly important to preserve reporter’s privilege. Reporter’s privilege is, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Reporters’ Privilege article, a collection of laws, which may vary from state to state state, that protect journalists and their sources by allowing them to keep their sources and unpublished information confidential. I agree with the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s opinion that protecting sources is important for the freedom of the press, and for this reason, I believe that reporter’s privilege must be maintained. Sources will not want to speak with journalists if they think they may be exposed and, as a result, possibly endangered. It is the job of a journalist to protect their sources who wish to remain unknown, and journalists should be able to count on reporter’s privilege to keep their sources safe.