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-Short Attention Span Theater-
That'll sure winnow out all them journalistic poseurs
2015-01-21
The only people who still feel they can clearly define who is and isn't a journalist are legislators. They're almost always wrong. Journalism isn't a career. It's an activity. Anyone can do it and, thanks to the internet, anyone can find a publishing platform and readers. But, according to many politicians, it ain't the press unless it involves one.

If you want press credentials to cover Alabama's legislative sessions, prepare to be disappointed.

Raise your hand if you trust Alabama Republican legislative leaders to define "legitimate journalism" in Alabama. Well, they're doing it anyway. Tuscaloosa Rep. Chris England took to Facebook to post a list of criteria that reporters will have to meet if they're to receive press credentials & be allowed inside the press rooms at the State House.
More at the link...
Posted by:badanov

#9  It is an attempt to control the message.
Posted by: JohnQC   2015-01-21 18:47  

#8  Ben Franklin was on salary? Who knew?
Posted by: KBK   2015-01-21 13:20  

#7  The applicant must also certify that, with the exception of the Alabama Press Association and the Alabama Broadcasters Association, and the exception of receiving advertising revenue, they have no affiliation with any person, firm, corporation, association, or political party that attempts to influence legislative issues or lobby members of the Alabama Legislature.

You could drive a truck through that exception.

I think there must be ways of certifying how many visits a web site receives. That is certainly as good a measure of how many people read it as the ways they use to measure radio and TV audiences.
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2015-01-21 13:15  

#6  It'll be passed on to the public as usual.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2015-01-21 13:06  

#5  freedom of the press (circa 1792) meant the technology not the institution. It was all about free flow of information. That is not what happens in the 'Press' (circa 2015). No, that institution is not entitled to what amounts to another "title of nobility". Remember they keep pushing the entitlement to secrecy of source. One set of rules for me, another set of rules for thee.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2015-01-21 08:34  

#4  So much or freedom of the press.

I don't consider the mainstream media outlets as press... More like propaganda outlets.

If you don't toe the government line your out.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2015-01-21 08:16  

#3  It's not so much a fund raiser on press passes as it is a plan to assure that only licensed, approved toadies and syncophants are around when they say something stupid. Because, you know it's going to happen.
Posted by: ed in texas   2015-01-21 07:49  

#2  Should probably send them all to that other guy's SERE school, in case they're captured. That might thin their ranks and inject a little reality into their worlds.
Posted by: Skidmark   2015-01-21 07:17  

#1  My reading of this is that Republicans and Democrats alike are setting up a system whereby they can extract more money for press passes to raise revenue.

It isn't a partisan thing or even a freedom of speech thing. It's just more public sector officiousness and greed. Bad but not the same as trying to control the information stream.
Posted by: no mo uro   2015-01-21 05:11  

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