"Though many consider the case as a major win for bloggers and freedom of speech advocates, the court ruling establishes clear-cut rules for bloggers, in terms of both their rights and limitations. Contrary to popular belief, the ruling does not completely favor the blogging community. The rule does not allow the public to have complete freedom to post absolute fraudulent or defamatory claims, but rather justifiably holds bloggers responsible for the same standards as journalists.This ruling is a huge divergence from what had long been blurred lines and assumptions drawn from court precedents. Bloggers have typically assume
d the same aforementioned rights and protections that the Supreme Court established to protect journalists’ freedom speech in the press in the 1974 Gertz v. Robert Welch Inc. case. But before last week, no federal judge or court had ever specifically ruled that bloggers or personal freelance writers were protected by the same rules.
Now that virtually anyone has the opportunity to upload and publish content on the Internet, it’s about time that the courts established appropriate guidelines. According to a 2013 Pew Research Center study, 50 percent of Americans now use both Internet publications and blogs as their main news sources, instead of print newspapers or television programs. Additionally, the report noted that American
use of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook as news outlets doubled from 2010 to 2012. These new standards make any online user liable for their careless comments, posts and articles found on any of these media.
As society shifts toward becoming more reliant on online media to stay both informed and express their opinions, it only seems reasonable to prevent bloggers from abusing their First Amendment rights. The ruling will set a strong precedent that enables a broader practice of the freedom of speech and gives bloggers long-overdue responsibilities."
Source
http://ucsdguardian.org/?p=16596
Note; "standards as journalists", wow well most traditional outlets simply repeat the AP press story, fatual or not. Many journalists answer to the corporate machine or politics, oftentimes dictated by their "BOSS" so those standards are simply whamby bamby news riddled with holes, lacking details, documents and actual real news the story. News had become whatever corporate news shoveled up, until blogs. And now this precedent levels the playing field. Lying, distorting fact, not reporting what is really going on in the world but instead serving up entertainment or new on the lives of celebrities. Traditional Journalists, in my opinion, do not have the freedom to really report the news, and the STANDARDS we want, as a News consuming public is the TRUTH, all of it to the best of the reporters ability, not some sugar coated "both sides" hearsay served on a cozy bed of "everything is ok in the world"