MBAMajorNews

MEDIA BLOGGERS ASSOCIATION JOINS WITH NEWSWEEK TO LAUNCH 'THE RUCKUS,' A NEW GROUP POLITICS BLOG

THE RUCKUS FEATURES GUEST BLOGGERS FROM THE LEFT, RIGHT AND CENTER-PLUS KEY PRIMARY STATES

Thomas Pierce wrote in NPR Bloggers Join Frenzy at Media-Saturated Libby Trial

After two years of wrangling with judicial officials across the country, the association finally won the chance to prove what blogs and bloggers can contribute beyond traditional journalism. And this case, in particular, is an interest

Robert Cox of Media Bloggers Association is interviewed on ABC News on covering the trial of Scooter Libby.

Text version is here<

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

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.

Alan Sipress wrote in the Washington Post, Too Casual To Sit on Press Row? - Bloggers' Credentials Boosted With Seats at the Libby Trial

When the trial of Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice opens next week, scores of journalists are expected to throng the federal courtroom in Washington, far too many for the 100 seats set aside for the media.

But for the first time in a federal court, two of these seats will be reserved for bloggers.

Anick Jesdanun for the Associated Press wrote a story that first appeared in the San Jose Mercury News, Group seeks professionalism in blogs

Cox is about to unveil new membership policies designed to help bloggers who see themselves more as journalists than freeform diarists... Among the planned criteria: Members would have to take an online course offered by the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank, covering legal issues related to blogging.

Members also could seek credentialed status by undergoing training or demonstrating other work as professional journalists. They also must agree to the organization's ethical standards and adopt formal editorial and corrections policies. Doing so could give them the backing they need to obtain review copies of books and access to newsmakers and events, Cox said.

USA TODAY published a story today, Courts are asked to crack down on bloggers, websites which highlights the increase in legal threats facing bloggers. The article contains quotes from MBA President Robert Cox and gives prominent mention to the MBA's work in the "Maine Blogger" case.

Laura Parker writes:

blogs [are] increasingly are being targeted by those who feel harmed by blog attacks. In the past two years, more than 50 lawsuits stemming from postings on blogs and website message boards have been filed across the nation. The suits have spawned a debate over how the "blogosphere" and its revolutionary impact on speech and publishing might change libel law...