Thaindian News

Portland, Dec 8 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Experts say the ruling of a Portland judge that bloggers are not journalists may have far reaching implications on all those who write on the Internet.

Crystal Cox was sued by Obsidian Finance Group for writing highly critical blog posts about the investment firm and its founder. The company asked the court to order damages of $10 million for the write-ups which the firm argued defame the company. During the trial, Cox represented herself and defended unsuccessfully that she was a journalist and should be protected.

The judge disagreed with that and awarded a cost of $2.5 million against Cox. After the judgment was read by the court in Portland, the blogger told the Seattle Weekly everyone who writes on the Internet should be concerned with the ruling of the judge.

Cox argued that as a “journalist,” she was under no obligation to name the source. That was where the judge disagreed with her because “… although defendant is a self-proclaimed “investigative blogger” and defines herself as “media,” the record fails to show that she is affiliated with any newspaper, magazine, periodical, book, pamphlet, news service, wire service, news or feature syndicate, broadcast station or network, or cable television system. Thus, she is not entitled to the protections of the law.”

Cox has indicated that she will appeal the ruling. She does not intend to hire the services of a lawyer.