Freedom of Press Limited to "Offical Reporters"
Judge: Blogger Not Shielded From State Law That Shields Reporters Thursday, April 10, 2008 WBAL Radio as reported by Scott Wykoff and Associated Press A Worcester County judge has ruled that a Salisbury area Web blog publisher is not protected by a state law shielding news reporters from defamation lawsuits. The ruling means blogger Joseph Albero must explain the steps he took to verify blog postings that prompted a defamation suit filed by Salisbury Police Chief Allan Webster. Albero, however, will not have to disclose the source of a letter on his blog which allegedly defamed Webster. Webster is seeking nearly $10,000 from Albero for publishing information Webster says is harmful to his character. A trial is scheduled for July 30.
