Hi everyone: On 10/17/07, Josh Wolf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Pat, > > Would I have been covered under the law? Possibly, due to the fact > that I sold stringer footage of the protest that night, but even that > is unclear due to the addition of the word "substantial" to the text > of the law.
Well if you were to go out and cover a similar protest/riot tomorrow, I'd be willing to bet you'd be covered now that you work at CNET. :D > I've discussed this briefly with one of my attorney's and he's a > little more optimistic than I am, but yeah, we're basically all on > the same page here. This of course, doesn't mean that you're not > protected under the free speech provision of the first amendment, but > it does mean that if the government comes after your unpublished > materials or wants to know what you discussed with your subject off- > camera under the promise of confidentiality then you've got almost > nothing in federal court. If this shield bill goes through and > becomes law then those who make their living off journalism *will* be > afforded a slightly greater level of protections but the law is far > from perfect in terms of how it will protect them too. > > Basically watching this law progress has left me feeling even more > hopeless about our government and politics -- it doesn't help that my > race for mayor has been a similar voyage. But the important thing is > that I don't give up, and I'm never going to give up... Good. Don't give up. It's quite obvious the right-wing controlled government has been brainwashed by the very media it manipulates that UNLESS you are political blogger FOR A LIVING, you're essentially a nobody. :( That means people like me would, as you indicated above, likely be covered only by virtue of the First Ammendment of The Consititution. This is almost EXACTLY why I said that the law in its current form is UNACCEPTABLE. But either way, I wouldn't expect President Bush to sign it into law (In fact, I'd be FLOORED if he did), so we probably shouldn't fret about it too much. Just my $.02 worth & my opinion :D Cheers :D -- Pat Cook Denver, Colorado PODCASTS - **NEW VLOG** AS MY WORLD TURNS - http://asmyworldturnstv.blogspot.com/ PAT'S REAL DEAL VIDEO BLOG - http://patsrealdeal.livejournal.com/ PAT'S HEALTH & MEDICAL WONDERS VIDEOCAST - http://patshealthmedicalwondersvideocast.blogspot.com/ YOUTUBE CHANNEL - http://www.youtube.com/amwowttv/ THE PAT COOK SHOW - http://www.livevideo.com/thepcshow THE PAT COOK SHOW (Video Podcst) - http://thepctvshow.blogspot.com/ THE PAT COOK SHOW (Audio Podcast) - http://thepcradioshow.blogspot.com/
