Protect Your Voice Campaign Kicks Off

Protect Your Voice: The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity called on CPAC 2012 attendees to sign a petition that aims to grant bloggers the same legal protection journalists have. According to American Journalism Review's 2009 analysis there were 30 percent less statehouse reporters then compared to 2003. While their grant has not been renewed to do the study since then, any reporter can attest to the continued cutbacks by walking into a newsroom.

Fortunately, a new wave of energized reporters has been filling those vacancies out of passion - many unpaid. These bloggers are dedicated to informing their citizenry of its elected officials’ actions. They are addressing the threat to democracy.

Because of this, we believe they deserve the same protections as reporters in the court room. We aim to protect the bloggers that are reporting on acts of government as meticulously and honestly as the journalist sitting next to him or her at the press conference. Citizen Journalists and Bloggers should not be penalized for providing a valuable service to our country. Citizen Journalists and Bloggers in every state deserve to be included in the state’s shield laws and granted Freedom of the Press rights.

Times have changed and it’s time for the law to adjust. Go to ProtectYourVoice.org to show your love for bloggers this Valentine Day.

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Tags: citizen journalist, blogger, free speech government abuse, shield laws, protect your voice, promote accountability, transparency, protect source, access to public information, Valentine Day, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!