Could “Citizen Journalism” Be Criminalized?

According to The Washington Examiner, there is an amendment to a piece of legislation that would ban ordinary citizens from investigating the government for public interest. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) would allow members of the media to have access to investigations, but the same privileges would not be granted to regular citizens who often report what the mainstream media chooses to ignore.

AMENDMENTS intended to be proposed by Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. DURBIN)

Viz:

In section 10(2)(A), strike clause (iii) and insert the following:

(iii) obtains the information sought while working as a salaried employee of, or independent contractor for, an entity—

(I) that disseminates information by print, broadcast, cable, satellite, mechanical, photographic, electronic, 1or other means; and

(II) that—

(aa) publishes a newspaper, book, magazine, or other periodical;

(bb) operates a radio or television broadcast station, network, cable system, or satellite carrier, or a channel or programming service for any such station, network, system, or carrier;

(cc) operates a programming service; or

(dd) operates a news agency or wire service;

In section 10(2)(B), strike ‘‘and’’ at the end.

In section 10(2)(C), strike the period at the end and insert ‘‘; and’’.

In section 10(2), add at the end the following:

(D) does not include an individual who gathers or disseminates the protected information sought to be compelled anonymously or under a pseudonym.

If “citizen journalism” is criminalized, isn’t it the same as limiting the 1^st Constitutional Amendment of the Freedom of Speech?

Let’s look at “citizen journalism” for a second. This has been around since our country’s founding. Samuel Adams was the first “citizen journalist,” as he launched a newspaper featuring his writings called Independent Advertiser. These writings were highly critical of the British and inspired “citizen journalism” as we know it today.

Wouldn’t our Founding Fathers be rolling at this encroachment of our liberties to express our disappointment with our government and to hold them accountable for their actions? I would think so.