Bloggers gain access to "Scooter" Libby trial

[Kadie]

Bloggers gain access to "Scooter" Libby trial
By Andy Sullivan
6 minutes ago


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Internet bloggers will be allowed to cover the criminal trial of former White House staffer Lewis "Scooter" Libby alongside reporters from traditional media outlets, a court spokesman said on Thursday.

Members of a bloggers' association will share at least two seats during the high-profile trial in which Libby's former boss, Vice President Dick Cheney, is expected to testify, said Sheldon Snook, a spokesman for the U.S. District Court in Washington.

The arrangement is believed to be a first for a high-profile court case, although trade shows and political conventions have issued media passes to bloggers in the past several years.

"Bloggers are part of the media landscape and if we were to ignore bloggers, we would be ignoring reality," Snook said.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070111/wr_nm/media_courts_blogs_dc_1

[Patsy Stone]

1. I'm lovin' this

Blog away!

[SharonRB]

5. Hey, you!

Fancy meeting you here.

:hi:

[Patsy Stone]

7. Just say "Libby"

and I'm there lickety-split!

:hi:

[hootinholler]

9. When it says Libby, Libby, Libby on the

Label label label...

-Hoot

[Patsy Stone]

10. Happy New Year!

:popcorn:

[SharonRB]

11. Yeah, me too.

I better start stocking up on the popcorn. I so wish I didn't have to work for a living.

[Patsy Stone]

12. Right?

Between this and C-SPAN, I want to call in sick for a few years.

[SharonRB]

13. Either that or hang a TV from a visor and wear it all the time!

[annabanana]

2. Who is "Media Blogging Association"

"Blogging access will be restricted to members of the Media Blogging Association, a trade group that provides legal advice and promotes increased access for its 1,000 members.

While members adhere to standards of fairness and accuracy, they will be free to include political perspectives in their coverage, association President Robert Cox said.

"Our members are not going in there to file wire service copy or be pool reporters -- they're going to express opinions," Cox said.

He said the association has about 12 bloggers set to cover the trial -- some with a liberal perspective and some with a conservative one."

[Robbien]

6. these are the founding members--not a bad group

Founding Members


* Words In Edgewise
Robert Cox
* The Media Drop
Tom Biro
* Patterico's pontifications
Patrick Frey
* rantingprofs
Cori Dauber
* Network Landscape
Jason Clarke
* Newsbusters
Matthew Sheffield
* Lying in Ponds
Ken Waight
* BuzzMachine
Jeff Jarvis
* Center for Citizen Media
Dan Gillmor
* Lost Remote
Cory Bergman
Steve Safran
Richard Warner
David Johnson
Julie Moos
Liz Foreman
* Donata
Terry Heaton
* First Draft
Tim Porter
* Brendan Nyhan
Brendan Nyhan
* CJR Daily
Bryan Keefer
Bryan Keefer
* PRESSthink
Jay Rosen
* New Media Musings
J.D. Lasica
* CyberJournalist.net
Jonathan Dube
* Oliver Willis
Oliver Willis
* RConversation
Rebecca MacKinnon
* TV Barn
Aaron Barnhart
* Croooow Blog
Henry Hanks


http://www.mediabloggers.org/about

[Spazito]

3. That is great news!

Firedoglake will be THE site to go to on this, imo! Their coverage of the Plame leak/Libby charges and upcoming trial has been stellar.

Edited to correct grammatical error.

[SharonRB]

4. This is great!

I'm just bummed that I'll be out of town at a three-day meeting for work the first few days of the trial and won't have any access to the Internets. Maybe they'll just be doing jury selection then and I won't miss much.

[bleever]

8. Yahoo!

Me likey.

[Kadie]

14. .

:kick:

[Missy Vixen]

15. This is great news!

I am sad, though, we won't be able to read the transcript of Patrick Fitzgerald's opening statement until probably much later...

:cry:
Julie
still president for life of the PFEB

[porphyrian]

16. Great! Keep us posted, whoever they're talking about. - n/t

[progressoid]

17. How will they determine which two will get a seat?