In 2008, Lake Oswego, Oregon drafted a policy narrowly defining media members as those at outlets with multiple personnel and registration with the state Corporation Division. The policy clearly excludes bloggers, which have been regularly disrespected.
Yet, the disrespect for bloggers in Lake Oswego might extend to professional journalists themselves. Tim Knight wrote a blog going to great lengths to separate journalists from what he calls "citizen bloggers."
"Journalists are different from other people. We're trained to report on all sides without fear or favour. We're trained to serve the people, not the powers that be -- which includes governments and our unions and our political beliefs and the nice people who sign our cheques."
Knight might be right that bloggers don't always hold themselves to as high of standards as other professional news outlets, but that doesn't mean they have a right to cover the news with the same constitutional protections.
These constitutional protections were affirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court in 2014. Giving bloggers and journalists the same level of protections.
With an increasing number of people choosing to get their news from blogs, bloggers must be respected and afforded the same opportunities to create content as professional journalists.
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