[Foundation-l] Wikinews is giving out press credentials

Fri Nov 11 12:35:56 UTC 2005

On 11/11/05, Jean-Baptiste Soufron <jbsoufron at gmail.com> wrote:

> Giving out press credentials has nothing to do with trademark law,
> copyright or policy. Most countries regulate the right for organization
> to act as press organizations. For example, the french status of press
> journalists is regulated by a law of 1935, and its conditions are very
> strict.

Yes, I was going to say something along those lines, but I wanted to
find more information about other countries and their specific
legislations. I failed to find any relevant information concerning the
issuing of press credentials in North America for one. Maybe someone
could help out here? Michel Neige perhaps? Others for other countries?
Or is France a stand alone in that situation?

> First, I don't think that wikinews would like to engage its liability by
> issuing false press credentials when they don't have the right to do so.
>
> Second, I don't think that wikinews would like to enrage journalist
> unions that control the issuing of these credentials.
>
> If you want to issue press credentials there are strict steps to follow,
> and they have nothing to do with trademark law or whatever : they depend
> on national press legislations. Press organizations have special
> privileges related to press, but they also have special obligations to
> fulfill, and special liabilities !
>
> As of today, Wikinews is not such a press organization and cannot
> benefit of their privileges !

No, but maybe it could could become one? However, that would probably
require a completely different way of doing it, which would probably
entail the Wikinews community and the Foundation to engage in the
proper recognition process. And where? In the US? Worldwide? There are
millions of questions tied to such a process.

> I can provide more help on this if you are interested.
>
> The French law related to this is pretty much a good example of what is
> needed :
>
> http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/texteconsolide/PCEAA.htm
> http://mapage.noos.fr/odalage/monde/statut.html
>
> for policy-related and historical explanations of the status of
> journalists.

Just to point out, the French law for example explicitely mentions
that to hold "carte de presse", you must derive at least 50% of your
income from writing for the press. Which would make it very hard for
fr wikinewsies to ever have one, I suppose... Hopefully other
legislations are not as compelling.

Delphine
--
~notafish