Ever heard of Josh Wolf? He's a Bay area blogger and reporter who now holds the distinction of serving the longest time in prison of any US journalist for protecting his sources. He's been in jail for six months because he refused to turn over video of an anti-war rally in San Francisco. But most people have neveer heard of him because he's independent. Here's an interview with him from Democracy Now. Or visit his website.

If citizens' journalism is going to grow into a serious movement in the US, here's the perfect cause. If Wolf doesn't get more press and the feds don't feel pressure to release him, then it will be very easy to silence the next citizen journalist who goes out to tell the stories falling through the cracks. Here's what Wolf says about his case and the effect it's having on all of us:

I’m worried that America is too afraid, and even though maybe my situation has helped them realize what's coming down the pike, that instead of jolting them out of bed, it's just lulled them deeper into sleep and helped them pull the covers over their head in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, if they don't see it, it will all go away.