Mar 9, 2009 6:21 pm US/Central
Minn. House Ponders: Who Is A Journalist?
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
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House leaders want to institute some unusual restrictions on mainstream reporters. But new media bloggers believed all of the rules were actually aimed at them. (File)
CBS
Who is and isn't a journalist is getting some debate by members of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
House leaders want to institute some unusual restrictions on mainstream reporters. But new media bloggers believed all of the rules were actually aimed at them.
The Democrats wanted journalists to sign a promise they won't videotape lawmakers in certain situations because of what they said were security reasons.
"Because it's very hard now to distinguish what are press and what are called trackers or even stalkers and other issues. We have some issues around here that go beyond the press and go into safety concerns," said House DFL Majority Leader Tony Sertich.
However, controversy erupted when House leaders asked reporters in public hearings to promise not to videotape audience members or conversations between House members in the room or even to focus the camera on individual House members.
Jason Barnett is executive director of The Uptake, a progressive-leaning Web site that's currently Web casting Minnesota's U.S. Senate election trial. He said he would not sign the promise
outlining the new House rules.
"It really is shocking to me that this is coming from this party that normally are the ones who are pretty open and transparent to begin with," said Barnett.
On this, liberals and conservatives agree. Michael Brodkorp is employed by Senate Republicans, but privately he writes a conservative blog called Minnesota Democrats Exposed.
"The Democrats should be ashamed of themselves. We should be letting more sunshine in. More transparency, more bloggers in, more access to the process so that the process can be open and the public can see what's going on," said Brodkorb.
Democratic leaders insist they are most concerned about security, not journalists.
But they say they will have to deal with an emerging issue: What is a journalist? Is it a blogger? A TV reporter? A print reporter? And does one deserve more access than another?
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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