We are pleased to announce that the Citizen Media Law Project has now transitioned to its new name, the Digital Media Law Project!

The Citizen Media Law Project was created in 2007 to support the vibrant online culture of citizen media and independent journalism by providing free legal advice and information on a wide range of media law, intellectual property and business law issues. Since then, there has been an explosion of novel online journalism and publishing ventures, with the development of new ways of bringing information of critical public importance to light. Experiments abound as innovators in the journalism space attempt to fill the information gap left by the contraction of traditional news organizations. These experiments often originate from citizen journalists attempting to improve their own communities, but they are as likely to come from professional journalists seeking a new voice through independent online ventures.

The expansion and complexity of the online publishing environment makes the change from “Citizen” to “Digital” a natural progression, reflecting both our recognition of the role of both citizens and professionals in online journalism and the expansion of our services. Since our launch, we have developed a coordinated suite of legal resources to address a journalism venture’s specific needs. Our networks of attorneys, clients and scholars serve as an early warning system that allows the project to respond to breaking legal issues affecting journalism. Our online legal guide provides detailed information on a wide range of media and business law topics, and our threats database tracks legal actions against online speech. Our 50-state pro bono lawyer referral network, the Online Media Legal Network, provides experienced counsel when direct representation is needed.

Read more about our change of name here, and be sure to follow us on Twitter with our new handle, @DMLPBerkman!