Current Events — HabitableZone

Current Events » in reply to re: Mainstream media decide to test copyright law.

Copyright law makes no distinctions between news production and other creative work.
Mary Anne — (archived)

That is very traditional. Writing and photography are considered intellectual property no matter what their topic. The rules are a little different concerning music because music has a different format. The rules for music more closely resemble the rules for poetry, which also has an essential idea, or "heart".

Freedom of the press, as defined in the First Amendment, says that the press can publish anything without fear of governmental retribution. It doesn't mean the press is "free" as in "without fee". People will often take the term "free press" as a feduciary statement. It is not; it is a political statement.

It's true that reporters don't create the events reported in the news, but their expertise, and nerve, and background knowledge, as well as their research staffs, make news reporting a creative enterprise just as much as any other form of writing. A reporter with poor interview or observational skills will give you a poor picture of the news. The picture, not the event, is what we pay for.

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