MBALibbyTrial

Jennifer Duck wrote for ABC News Bloggers for 'Scooter' Wheel Into Town

"The idea of citizen journalists, of people coming in from everyday walks of life to start reporting on, or talking about, or discussing what's going on in the country, is something that is fundamentally good for our society and our democracy," said Robert Cox, president of the Media Bloggers Association and media credential holder for the trial.

From CNN's American Morning, January 16, 2007:

The traditional media has given a great deal of coverage to our being credentialed to the Libby Trial. Here they are - the first ever credentials granted to bloggers at a federal trial (I should have asked Pach for his so I could have gotten all three in one shot).

Turns out these ARE the only credentials we get so we actually have to hand them off like a baton between relay race runners.

The army of journalists covering the Lewis "Scooter" Libby trial showed up for work today. The E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse is still standing. The sun will set in the west. All this despite bloggers showing up today for the first time as credentialed members of the media covering a federal trial.

With jury selection scheduled to begin today, I boarded a DC-bound Amtrak train this morning and arrived at Union Station around lunchtime. Waiting for me was a producer for ABC News who was there to shoot video of my arrival - getting through the train station, walking past the Capitol Building, making my way over to the U.S. District Court in Washington and - perhaps most importantly - dropping off my luggage at a hotel.

Robert Cox was interviewed on the BBC Radio show "Pods and Blogs" about the MBA being credentialed to the Scooter Libby Trial. We have a pending request to BBC for the clip, and if it is received it will be installed here.

I had told the folks at the DC Court back in November that their decision to credential bloggers - and provide WiFi to permit liveblogging - would be a pretty big news story. Turns out I was right. In fact, it may be safe to say that bloggers covering the Libby trial was a bigger story than the trial itself over the past week.

Since the Washington Post story ran I have done dozens of interviews - AP, Reuters, NPR, CNN, MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Voice of America, Newsweek Russia, Nippon TV, and others. A story from the Portland Press Herald was turned into an AP story and that ran in places like USATODAY and lots of other newspapers. Another AP story also ran around the world.

Noel K. Gallagher wrote in Portland Press Herald Maine blogger gains seat at major trial

Maine political blogger Lance Dutson will cover next week's Scooter Libby trial on perjury and obstruction of justice charges, joining the first group of bloggers to receive credentials to a federal court trial.
"I am excited about it," said Dutson, who runs a Web site design company out of his Searsmont home and blogs at www.mainewebreport.com. "It's an interesting and positive development and sh

USAToday wrote Maine blogger to cover Scooter Libby's federal court trial

A Searsmont man who runs a blog site about Maine politics is among the bloggers who have been given media credentials to cover next week's federal trial of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff.

Jonathan Drew of the Associated Press wrote Another step for bloggers

[The administrative assistant to the court's chief judge] described the credentialing of bloggers as being on a "trial basis" and said the court would see how it goes before deciding who gets access in the future. As far as who will be getting the blog spots, he declined to name names. Robert Cox, president of the 1,000-member Media Bloggers Association, said two of the seats were going to his group. Cox plans to to rotate different of his association's member bloggers through the credentials each week.