Bloggers will
remember his face

The trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice-President Cheney's former chief of staff, on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, is an historic one for blogger journalists.
For the first time in a federal court, two of the 100 seats set aside for the media will be reserved for bloggers, reports WaPo. The hard-fought seats were the result of two years of negotiations between judicial officials across the country and the Media Bloggers Association, a nonpartisan group with about a thousand members.

Why it took so long had to do with bloggers' not abiding by common journalistic practices - like verifying facts, seeking both sides of a story and posting corrections. But Robert Cox, the association's president, wants to change perceptions by placing journalistic integrity behind the group.

With 69 lawsuits brought against bloggers nationwide, Cox will provide online education for members, ultimately qualifying them for blogging liability insurance through the association. He's also in talks with Harvard Law School about online courses.