(2002-05-23) a

Gina Barton explores "What Is A Journalist?". Why does the definition matter (other than for ego)? (1) Press pass access (maybe netcasting makes this less of an issue - esp if one imagines having a wired reporter onsite combined with an Idea Futures approach to prioritizing questions to ask). (2) Shield laws (which allow journalists in more than 30 states to protect the names of confidential sources - what happens in the other states?). In that case, popularly known as the von Bulow case, the court ruled that anyone - whether employed by a publication or not - who gathers information with the intent to disseminate it to the public may invoke privilege.