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Home > New Hampshire to Stop Issuing ID Cards to Journalists

New Hampshire to Stop Issuing ID Cards to Journalists [1]

Submitted by David Ardia on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 21:06

The Associated Press is reporting that New Hampshire will no longer issue identification cards to journalists. According to a report in Seacoastonline [2]:

The man who handled the chore — Jim Van Dongen of the state Department of Safety — says the decision is based on the proliferation of online and specialty news outlets and technology that allows just about anyone to call himself a journalist. Van Dongen says that put him and his bosses in the uncomfortable position of issuing cards to all comers or having to decide who is a legitimate journalist.

This change is largely symbolic, however, as event organizers usually issue their own credentials to journalists and don't rely on the state to determine who should get a press pass.

UPDATE: Scott Gant has written an excellent article on the Huffington Post about the difficulty of deciding who should get press credentials: A Broad View of Journalism [3]. 

Jurisdiction: 

  • New Hampshire [4]

Subject Area: 

  • Access to Places [5]
  • Citizen Journalism [6]

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Source URL (modified on 02/27/2008 - 3:41pm): https://www.dmlp.org/blog/2008/new-hampshire-stop-issuing-id-cards-journalists

Links
[1] https://www.dmlp.org/blog/2008/new-hampshire-stop-issuing-id-cards-journalists
[2] http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080115/NEWS/80115005
[3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-gant/a-broad-view-of-journalis_b_87691.html
[4] https://www.dmlp.org/jurisdiction/united-states/new-hampshire
[5] https://www.dmlp.org/subject-area/access-places
[6] https://www.dmlp.org/subject-area/citizen-journalism