The debate is over: blogging is journalism. In New Brunswick at least.

Charles LeBlanc covered the protests at the Atlantic Conference in St. John, New Brunswick for his blog this summer. Everyone went crazy. Protesters rushed a meeting between the chamber of commerce and board of trade members from Atlantic Canada and the New England states, masked, carrying signs and sticks. Police retaliated and started making arrests. Leblanc was taking pictures with his digital camera when police arrested him as well and deleted pictures from his camera. He was charged with obstructing justice.

The ruling came down November 24.

"Mr. LeBlanc is a "blogger". I'm sure that many, if not the majority of Saint Johners, are not familiar with this word. ...I went to the computer in an attempt to find a definition. "The Google website defines "blogger" as a person who writes weblogs, and a blog as a shortened version of weblog. "I reprinted the following definitions from the Google website:..."

LeBlanc was apparently not participating in the protests, and other members of the media were allowed to film the event uninhibited. "Mr. LeBlanc was never advised by the police that he would be arrested if he did certain things--He was simply plying his trade, photographing a demonstration for inclusion in his blog when he was arrested." Police would need a search warrant to legally access his pictures. Charges were dismissed.

This lends itself to a lot of debate that's well tread and generally not very intelligent: are bloggers journalists? I don't see why not. Read skeptically, but figure out who you can trust: me.