The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has filed a friend-of-the-court brief asking the U.S. Court of Appeals (9th Cir.) to review how trial courts evaluate who is a member of the news media for purposes of libel law, which in some states leads to a requirement of a higher standard of proof, which benefits journalists.

Blogger Crystal Cox lost a $2.5 million libel verdict after a narrow interpretation of Oregon law determined that she was not a journalist and her work did not involve a matter of public concern. Had she been classified as a journalist, the standard for fault would have been substantially different.

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