Now, given that bloggers like Guido (when he's not just doing gossipy innuendo) is like an investigative journalist who chooses the blog as his medium for publishing, should they (in general, not just Guido) be threatened with jail if they do not reveal their sources?I expect Guido's the type of person who would probably go to jail just for the fun of it anyway, so I'm asking the question, what should Guido do when he is in jail? Perhaps a dirty protest that "staines" the wall whilst simultaneously demanding to speak to Mo Mowlam and Mo Mowlam only?
Any other ideas welcome.
Hat Tip: Theo Spark
14 comments:
Not pick up the soap?
*Sarcasm* Nice of the CC to protect the whistleblower *Sarcasm* . Didn't anyone learn anything from Enron?
He should demand to share a cell with Lord Levy
Check out the Josh Wolf case in the US; he's now the journalist longest imprisoned for refusing to give up information in US history. California's Shield Law protects journalists but becaues the Feds give money to the SF police for anti-terrorism stuff and because a police car was damaged, it's a Federal matter and there's no Federal shield law. At least, that was the explanation of Federal interest that I heard on the radio yesterday (but it was on Democracy Now, which is a pinko show).
I do believe that the precedent has already been set through the courts. Need to look it up, but about 6 months ago, a blogger in the UK won the same right as a journalist to keep his sources secret.
Does that mean in effect that if someone like Nick Robinson were to publish through the paper he would have a degree of protection, but if he published through the blog he does not?
Journalism is journalism whatever the medium surely?
Take his laptop in with him and carry on blogging ,what are they going to do jail him.
It's just another government performance target. The CC's latest annual report claims 'number of times legal authority exercised:- 5,170' for last year. They probably want to hit 6,000 this year.
So poor old Guido probably isn't very exclusive after all. The same form letter probably goes to the old dear who complained to the CC about the trustees of the village War Memorial charity misusing funds to buy trustees' chrimbo drinkies in the Dog and Duck.
"Take his laptop in with him and carry on blogging ,what are they going to do jail him."
Man, if you ever go to prison, you're going to be very disappointed.
No Leon, let the hypocritical tw*t drop the soap!
It is nice of Mr Reid to build him a big shiny new prison! Or maybe it's for Blair and Levy.
Citizen journalists are citizens not journalists, they have no journalistic exemptions from law, and come to think of it need taking down a peg or two.
So ivory tower for the hacks and jail for the proles. Like it!
No, I'm a prole myself. It's just that Guido, and others, can't have it both ways.
They are either journalists, and play the game, or they are citizens, and fuck about.
He can't be both.
And for the record, certain 'proper' journalists need taken down a peg or two as well.
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