Defining the News Media

Journalists, judges and just about everybody else has an opinion on how bloggers fit into the news media universe. Many university-trained working journalists scoff at the idea that bloggers are part of the profession. But there are plenty of smart people who are convinced that journalism is an act of communication, rather than a white-collar vocation. Now, the CIA is weighing in the side of including bloggers as a vital component of the news media. Govexec.com reports that the CIA's final rule on processing fees for Freedom of Information Requests adopts an earlier federal government definition of "news media" that includes "alternative media" that is electronically transmitted. Read more about it, including the outlook for those nasty FOIA fees.