Behind-the-times judge rules bloggers aren't journalists

Although the “are bloggers journalists?” argument was declared over seven years ago in a lengthy essay by academic and media writer Jay Rosen (the answer: well … sometimes), it isn’t over — and it’s going to be a long time before it is.

A couple of weeks ago, an Oregon judge took a side in the argument: Bloggers aren't journalists.
Seattle Weekly reported on the decision, a case in which blogger Crystal Cox was “sued by investment firm Obsidian Finance Group in January for defamation, to the tune of $10 million, for writing several blog posts that were highly critical of the firm and its co-founder Kevin Padrick.” The court ruled she was not protected by the Oregon shield law, which shields reporters and editors from having to reveal confidential sources in court.

Boy, did she ever defame this Padrick fellow. Any respectable journalist (and many disrespectable ones) would deny Crystal Cox three times, and then three times again, just to make sure.

The court ruled on a blog post written by Cox that contained the following paragraphs.

There are Many Reasons Why I Claim that Kevin Padrick, Obsidian Finance LLC is a Thug, Thief and a Liar.

That was the first sentence.

Who Was Kevin Padrick of Obsidian Finance Group really working for when he illegally, unethically, corruptly got this financial information and used it to make himself TONS of money?

You get the idea.

When Judge Marco A. Hernandez of the U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon issued his decision stating bloggers aren’t journalists on Nov. 30, bloggers and journalists raced to their keyboards and WordPress accounts to set Judge Hernandez straight.