Bloggers versus Journalists: A Debate

An interesting exchange at the Columbia Journalism Review website; to oversimplify: First Larry Pintak and Yosri Fouda argue that bloggers in the Middle East are not necessarily journalists and that defending bloggers who are arrested may undercut the ability to defend "real" journalists when they come under fire. Unsurprisingly, that view has not gone unchallenged: a response by Robert Mahoney at the site. I suggest you read both viewpoints. I see Pintak and Fouda's point (sort of) but I think I'm with Mahoney on this one, but you can make up your own minds after reading both.