Ninth Circuit Crystal Cox Case; ALL Citizen Journalists, All Bloggers NOW Have EQUAL Free Speech, First Amendment Rights as the Biggest News Media Corporations.

Citizen Journalists Have Same Rights as News Media
 

"This case is important to the future of citizen journalism because of the crusade against freedom of speech being perpetrated by members of Congress."

"The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled ... that bloggers have the same 1st Amendment rights as established journalists when involved in a defamation of character suit; as long as the issue is of public concern.

The outcome of this case establishes the fact that protections afforded the news media are not exclusive to their realm, but are also extended to citizen journalists and bloggers.

The decision was entered because of a defamation lawsuit brought in Oregon concerning a blogger ...."

"US District Court Judge Marco Hernandez originally denied Cox the right of journalistic protection."

Hurwitz continued: “Because Cox’s blog post addressed a matter of public concern, even assuming that Gertz is limited to such speech, the district court should have instructed the jury that it could not find Cox liable for defamation unless it found that she acted negligently. We hold that liability for a defamatory blog post involving a matter of public concern cannot be imposed without proof of fault and actual damages.”

Most importantly, the judges found that “under the 1st Amendment, it doesn’t matter whether the person accused of defamation is a professional journalist, an amateur whistle-blower or a crank with a Web page.”

This case highlights the findings in 1974 wherein the US Supreme Court wrote that freedom of the press applies to everyone – not only journalists.

Eugene Volokh, professor of law at the University of California at Los Angeles, commented on the Cox case:

 “It makes clear that bloggers have the same First Amendment rights as professional journalists. 

There had been similar precedents before concerning advocacy groups, other writers and book authors. 

This follows a fairly well established chain of precedents. 

I believe it is the first federal appeals court level ruling that applies to bloggers.”

This case is important to the future of citizen journalism because of the crusade against freedom of speech being perpetrated by members of Congress.

Source
http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=28602

Blogger Crystal Cox has NEVER sought a Pay Off for Reporting on Corruption on 1500 blogs for over a decade. NOT One Time, EVER. 

Blogger Crystal Cox has been defamed, harassed and painted in false light by Big Media, Legal Bloggers, Attorney Marc Randazza's alleged Gang Stalking attorneys and bloggers, as well as rogue attorneys and overreaching Judges. 

Crystal Cox has NEVER been under Investigation for Extortion, nor has Blogger Crystal Cox ever been convicted of extortion at anytime.