Are bloggers journalists? What freedoms and protections should bloggers be afforded?

I am currently taking a class called the "Law of Public Communication." We have discussed some of the issues that have been brought about by the ever increasing use of new media. How much freedom do we, as individuals, have to post whatever we want on our blogs and how much protection are bloggers afforded in for example a libel suit?

The crux of these questions becomes, are bloggers journalists? Can some independent bloggers be journalists while others are simply posting what they think on the internet? How can bloggers be held accountable?

After discussing this is class, I decided to ask you, the professionals,...what do you think, are bloggers journalists?

new media and what young people should know...

As I am looking at entry level Public Relations jobs, I feel confident and weary about my experience and skills with new media. I am textbook confident, in that I know what it is and how it should be used. I even have some experience using it. But I am weary to advertise it as a skill I possess when applying for a job. There is so much about blogging that I don't know and I have no clue how much my potential employers may know.

I am by no means an expert, but I know enough to start learning.

I am about to graduate from college in May and have no clue what i want to do. There are so many options there are! Get a job? Continue with school? Take a "gap year" to travel or work somewhere fun?

I know that I eventually want to "further my education," but I'm not sure if I should go now or work for a little while and then go back. Some people say to go now - that if you wait, you won't end up going back. But others say that you should definitely take time to figure out exactly what you want to do.

I have applied to law school and am waiting to hear back. However, I have no clue what i want to do.

How beneficial blogs can be...

I am currently on the "Bateman team," a group of 5 students selected to compete in a PRSSA national competition among diffent colleges. This year, our client is Family Caregiving 101. Since caregiving is often a personal issue many are hesitant to openly talk about the issues they face, however, caregivers can greatly benefit from the experiences and advice from others. Our main "stumbling block" is deciding how we would be able to adequately engage our audience to begin blogging about their experience. Any advice?

Hi! My name is Kaitlyn and I am a senior public relations major at the University of Georgia. I am creating a blog as an assignment for my major capstone class, “PR campaigns.”

Creating a blog is completely new to me, but I have become more comfortable with the blogosphere as many of my classes have begun to explore the topic. Two years ago, in my public relations research class, I read blogs people had written during Hurricane Katrina. Many were commenting on the damage and the government’s response but some were used to inform the friends and relatives of people who were stuck in the damage of where they were, if they were ok and if they needed help.

The blogoshpere has become an important tool for public relations practitioners as well. Monitoring blogs is now an essential aspect for pr. After hearing Josh Hallett speak, I gained a new perspective on the impact that blogs can have on a company. Not only can not monitoring blogs be harmful to your company, by missing the bad – and possibly false – things some are saying, but it can also be very beneficial to your company. You can get ideas and suggestions from customers and also expand your customer/public base - Just as Nikon did with Josh, when they read his blog about his dilemma in buying a new camera. By offering him a camera to borrow, they largely increased the likelihood that Josh would buy the new model, which he did.

So with the blog I hope to gain a better understanding of how to create and manage a blog. I plan to discuss, post-graduation options specifically for public relations majors...More to come soon!