NJ Supreme Court to Decide If Blogger Covered by State Media Shield Law

From the New Jersey Law Journal via law.com: THe NJ Supreme Court will consider whether the state's  press shield statute should be construed to cover a logger facing a defamation suit. The blogger was sued in response to statements she posted on Oprano.com, a website which labels itself as the "Wall Street Journal for the online adult entertainment industry."  The blogger charged that plaintiff Too Much Media had committed  fraud, made "illegal and unethical use of technology," and violated New Jersey's Identity Theft Protection Act. The blogger asserts that her accusations grew out of her investigation of the internet porn industry. She had also created a website, Pornafia.com, to make her findings public and contacted the Washington State attorney general’s office about her allegations. The blogger invoked  the NJ media shield law to block Too Much Media’s efforts to depose her in the defamation suit.  A NJ trial court and state appellate panel have concluded that the blogger’s web postings do not constitute the kind of journalistic activities covered by the Act’s protections.  

JFB