Covering the Libby Trial

I've just learned that I'll be contributing to the Media Bloggers Association RSS feed. Here's my official description:

Wendy Hoke will provide analysis and commentary on the implications of the Libby Trial on journalism - journalistic credibility, public perception of journalists, implications for a possible federal shield law and other statutory journalistic protections.

There's a pool of MBA bloggers sharing two credentials for coverage of the trial in Washington, D.C. MBA President Bob Cox is in DC now covering voir dire and lays out the judge's groundrules for bloggers here.

MSNBC Fact File has some good background on the players involved. Libby is on trial for perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to investigators inquiring about the outing of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame.

My interest in the case is that 26 journalists are on the potential witness list. This also has been one of the cases in which proponents declare the need for a federal shield law.

The trial is off today with voir dire resuming on Monday. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin on Tuesday though from the sounds of things, seating a jury may go into midweek.