Apple suit secures blogger rights

After a blogger published information about a new Apple product, Apple sued to get the source of the leak. But last week, a California appellate court decided bloggers who do not work for a news organization are newsgatherers, and therefore are protected by the state shield law from being forced to reveal confidential sources.

This must be a relief for California bloggers, because now anyone who is gathering and disseminating news can protect confidential sources. The San Jose Mercury News editorial argues this decision also helps print journalists by strengthening the ability of newspapers to print trade secrets.

I feel a bit torn because while I love Apple products (I recently upgraded from my iPod mini to the 30gig video iPod), I love the First Amendment more. Sorry Apple.

Blogs key to newspapers’ future

The past few weeks, I’ve been working on creating blogs for The Orion Online, Chico State’s student newspaper Web site. This has been slow work only because midterms and daily updates have kept me busy, so I haven’t created 55 accounts on our Word Press blog for all of the Orioners dying to blog.

For the time being, I’ll share my interest in new media and journalism with this blog.

On Romenesko’s Poynter blog, I read “Seeders of Clouds: Latest on Newspaper Blogging,” which is long but interesting. Blogs are essential and create a public forum like no other, so those Orion reporters who are in doubt, read and enjoy!