Citation
Egelko, Bob. "Mediator Fails to Free Imprisoned Blogger." San Francisco Chronicle 9 Mar. 2007: B4.
19 Mar. 2007. 19 Mar. 2007 <http://sfgate.com>.
Summary
Blogger Josh Wolf was imprisoned by San Francisco authorities for refusing to show them a video tape of a political protest he shot for his blog. He says he refuses to show the tape because it does not contain any evidence and he does not want to be part of the prosecution. Attorneys argue that Wolf is not an “actual reporter,” so he does not have a shield law protecting him.
Quotes
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Finigan has described Wolf in a court filing as delusional and a self-styled journalistic martyr who was not an actual reporter, just someone with a video camera at a public event. Journalists’ associations, however, regard him as a journalist who was there to film the demonstration for his blog.
On Feb. 6, Wolf became the longest-imprisoned journalist in U.S. history for defying a court order.
Review/Analysis
This case is revolutionary. It seems as if Wolf has the support of the journalistic/blogging community, who do in fact believe that he is a “real” reporter. It’s officials, however, that believe he is not a real reporter, and thus should not have the same rights as a reporter.
Blogs are gaining credibility. It seems as if it doesn’t matter the source, people just want information. Officials may be slow to realize this because independent media and bloggers may pose as a threat.
Bloggers vs. Reporters: Research 
> Blogs are gaining credibility. It seems as if it doesn’t matter the source, people just want information. Officials may be slow to realize this because independent media and bloggers may pose as a threat.
That’s pretty much the size of it, isn’t it? While the traditional media will be slow to recognize it for obvious reasons, it’s increasingly apparent to most of us that bloggers have much more in common with them than not. And it isn’t that blogs will replace the traditional media per se; they will take whatever share of the market they deserve. More competition can only be a good thing.
Comment by hydralisk — March 19, 2007 @ 9:56 am
That’s a good point you make about bloggers only taking their share of the market. I think there share will grow, though, as people find more and more holes in traditional media and as they want more questions answered.
Comment by Nicki Arnold — March 19, 2007 @ 12:38 pm