Media Bloggers Association Relaunch

Amy Gahran wrote in Poynter Online Media Bloggers Association relaunch

Media Bloggers Association relaunch: The Media Bloggers Association has launched its new site, which includes a media law course for bloggers in partnership with Poynter's News University.

The Media Bloggers Association describes itself as "a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting and educating its members; supporting the development of 'blogging' or 'citizen journalism' as a distinct form of media; and helping to extend the power of the press, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails, to every citizen."

Accomplishments of the MBA so far include:

• Representing dozens of bloggers in negotiations, including most recently Joan Stewart in the Oprah Winfrey case (working with Arianna and The Huffington Post's lawyer)
• Providing various levels of legal support to hundreds of bloggers facing threats
• Obtaining media credentials for bloggers
• Developing a first of its kind media liability insurance for bloggers
• Setting up a legal network of more than 75 attorneys specializing in First Amendment-related work around the country to offer members basic risk consults in the event of legal threats for defamation, privacy violation and copyright violation
• Setting up deals for bloggers with Newsweek, The Associated Press, PBS and others