Union County Superior Court Extends Shield Law Protections to “Newsgathering” Bloggers
By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
A Superior Court-level decision out of Union County on Friday could have far-reaching consequences for the Garden State blogosphere, Save Jerseyans.
A judge quashed a subpoena and, in so doing, decided that traditional press shield protections can apply to bloggers when they’ve “obtained material in the course of professional newsgathering activities.” (h/t NJ.com).
What does it all mean? If the ruling is challenged and subsequently upheld by a higher court, it could mean that blogs like Save Jersey are entitled to the same legal protections enjoyed by professional journalists at least when the blog is functioning in that capacity; examples of those “shield” protections include not having to turn over source information to the police or grand juries. (Note: the NJ Supreme Court already decided in 2011 not to extend similar benefits to message board commenters).
The facts and merits of the Union County case notwithstanding, Save Jerseyans, today’s discovery ruling could be an objectively good thing for free speech in future cases. Regular Save Jersey readers know how much journalism happens digitally in 2013. It’s about time that the law catches up with our reality.
