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Journalistic Freedom

The First Amendment still means something.

The delivery of news has changed radically in the last 10-15 years. It started with the iPhone and spread with more smartphones and tablets. As I've noted before, on the commuter train I take into Seattle, no one is reading a newspaper anymore. As I glance about, most are playing games or watching a TV program on their smartphones.

It appears that only a few national newspapers will survive in the information age. Newspapers have tried different business models. Charging for digital content, e.g., The Washington Post and then there are those like The Guardian that took a different path and are raising funds to support their news department via donations. 

This podcast 'Remaking Journalism' In An Age Of Information Chaos highlights some of that transition and also some other interesting perspectives on the differences between English and American laws when it comes to freedom of the press. 

We always talk about American law being based on English law — but, not when it comes to the First Amendment. There is an illustration in the podcast of that when English authorities come in and bust up The Guardian's computer equipment — in an official capacity. Thankfully, we don't have that type of activity attacking the Fourth Estate allowed based on our Constitution. 

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.