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RightMichigan.com
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And Those Other ThingsBy JGillman, Section News
Truthfully, there are too many topics on which to opine or report these days.
Perhaps it is by design. One thing of particular interest to bloggers and out-of-mainstream writers is the legislative effort to curb access to information and the ability to report by 'just anyone'. It had popped up a couple of years ago when a Michigan legislator, State senator Bruce Patterson (perhaps twirling his handlebar mustache a little too tight) had the idea of 'licensing journalists'. "Introduced by Sen. Bruce Patterson (R) on May 11, 2010, to create a government "Board of Michigan Registered Reporters" to pass on the qualifications under criteria established in the bill for an individual who seeks to use the title "Michigan Registered Reporter." An individual who writes or creates news stories, commentaries or editorials for a newspaper, online news outlet or radio or TV broadcaster, and who wants to use this title, would have to pay a $10 fee, and have either a journalism degree, at least three years experience as a reporter, submit writing samples, present evidence of awards or recognitions, present a letter of recognition from a reporter who is "registered," etc."A very strange thing to even ponder, much less propose as law. In fairness, it should be noted he was 'cool' with non credentialed types using the title 'reporter'. However, other efforts to control information are still surfacing as Michigan legislators are attempting to limit the flow of information to the public in a way that allows only CERTAIN reporters access to public records. : "The bill considers a journalist to be "an employee of a radio or television station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission" or "an employee of a newspaper."Bloggers need not apply. If it were only these efforts? Continued below
Unfortunately, the regular defacers of the constitution also have their efforts planned to stifle access to public records and other public events as well.
The US Senate judiciary committee has proposed a 'caste' system of journalists. This would classify certain writers as able to use special privilege other writers cannot. Senator Feinstein on punk bloggers: " "I can't support it if everyone who has a blog has a special privilege ... or if Edward Snowden were to sit down and write this stuff, he would have a privilege. I'm not going to go there," she said.Because equal access is not conducive to controlling
In response, Matt Drudge, who relies on multiple sources of reporting has issued a series of tweets to a quarter of a million followers: "Federal judge once ruled Drudge 'is not a reporter, a journalist, or a newsgatherer.' Millions of readers a day come for cooking recipes??!"He is right. The reality of today's information highway is that there are many travelers. Michigan might have been a state with a different SoS had vigilant bloggers not found records implicating progressive plans, and eventually an Oakland county operative in a fraudulent fake political party scheme in 2010. In fact, several key legislative seats might have gone to different candidates in the general had the ruse not been identified by a 'non-professional'. Access to the information necessary to identify such shenanigans would be at risk if we ever were to go down this road of licensing or 'accreditation' of investigative reporters. Without full and complete access by all, our citizen run government is forever at risk of being in control of those who would deny us oversight. And the bad guys know it.
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And Those Other Things | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)
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