A free press is now not so free when it comes to free access to the legislative process now that certain state officials at the LRC have taken it upon themselve to deny press passes to bloggers (Citizens Journalism) and only dole them them out to radio, television and newspaper journalists.
According to Wikipedia, "[t]he term Fourth Estate refers to the press, both in its explicit capacity of advocacy and in its implicit ability to frame political issues. The term goes back at least to Thomas Carlyle in the first half of the 19th century. . . . Thomas Carlyle in On Heroes and Hero Worship (1841) writes, ... does not... the parliamentary debate go on... in a far more comprehensive way, out of Parliament altogether? Edmund Burke said that there were three Estates in Parliament, but in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a fourth Estate more important than they all."
The mass media fulfills a vitally important role as the guardians of democracy, defenders of the public interest. Carlyle further said "It is not a figure of speech, or a witty saying; it is a literal fact, .... Printing, which comes necessarily out of Writing, I say often, is equivalent to Democracy: invent Writing, Democracy is inevitable. ..... Whoever can speak, speaking now to the whole nation, becomes a power, a branch of government, with inalienable weight in law-making, in all acts of authority. It matters not what rank he has, what revenues or garnitures: the requisite thing is that he have a tongue which others will listen to; this and nothing more is requisite." Id.
Last but not least, let's take a look at the First Amendment -
Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Fuzzy lines for fuzzy times? Will the Main Stream Media stand tall and object to this encroachment upon the First Amendment or will they follow the path of profits?
Maybe the 'state officials' ought to check out this earlier posting from KLB (which cited and borrowed heavily from Media Law Blog by Robert Ambrogi) referencing the Media Exception to Campaign Financing which includes blogs as members of the press.
Please note further that the Federal Election Commission . . . [has] unanimously approved Advisory Opinion 2005-16 finding that the Fired Up! network of blogs qualifies for the so-called press exception to federal campaign finance law.
That exception says that political contributions and expenditures do not include "any cost incurred in covering or carrying a news story, commentary, or editorial by any broadcasting station ... , newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication ... unless the facility is owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate." * * *
Here is the Herald-Leader story. Click on heading for entire posting.
No press credentials, state tells bloggers
NET COMMENTATORS WANT TO COVER '06 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
By John Cheves HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITERComputers in hand, Kentucky's small but growing flock of political Web log publishers will descend on Frankfort next week for the 2006 General Assembly.
But they won't join the ink-stained wretches of the press.
State officials are telling the bloggers that they aren't journalists and can't get the press credentials that grant access to the House and Senate floors and Capitol entrances generally closed to the public.
This is irritating to a group that, by nature, tends to wake up cranky on the best of days.
"I told them I may not be a quote-unquote 'working journalist,' I'm not with the mainstream media, but I do have a Web site," said David Adams, a banking services salesman in Jessamine County who publishes conservative opinions on [Kentucky Progress].
Mark Nickolas, who operates the liberal bluegrassreport.com, swiftly posted a critical essay about his denied credentials under the headline: "A Brave New World Hits The Old World Head-On." [click on this posting and get some feedback from the comments from the public] * * *
[click on heading for entire story].
[update 1/2/2006] For comments by Senators Scorsone and Buford and Representative Stein on the LRC's decision (Rob Weber) to deny press pass privileges to political bloggers (even those whose circulation receive 2000-3000 hits per day a' la Blue Grass Report, then go to Lights, Camera, Jackson (funny name, serious content).
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