"A defamation award against a blogger was overturned via a unanimous vote by a federal appeals court on Friday, according to The Los Angeles Times. The court ruled that those who post on the internet are afforded the same 1st Amendment rights that protect the traditional news media.“The protections of the 1st Amendment do not turn on whether the defendant was a trained journalist, formally affiliated with traditional news entities,” Judge Andrew D. Hurwitz wrote. Judge Hurwitz sat on a three-judge panel to hear the case at the United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals."
http://www.jdjournal.com/2014/01/21/appeals-court-rules-blogger-protected-by-1st-amendment-rights/#