Do Bloggers Count As Journalists?

In America there’s been a recent stir in the bloggersphere relating to a bill of Congress that state a journalist has the right to keep his or her sources confidential, effectively banning the government from forcing journalists to reveal whistleblowers.

Bu wnen it comes to bloggers as well as freelancers, independents, and nonprofit journalists – the government can in effect force you to divulge where information has come from. 

The reasoning is that if journalism is a hobby or passion you do as a public service, or if you are a freelancer without a boss, both of which easily describe a blogger, then the government reserves the right to force you to tell them who told you something, much like the government tried to do with New York Times journalist Judy Miller under the Bush Administration.

What do you think? Is this fair? Will it stop radical views being aired online?