Is Nick DePlume a Journalist?

Shawn King, of Your Mac Life, answers this question in his latest
podcast. His answer? A resounding no, and he has some good reasons to back it up. Why is this important you may ask. Apple is suing
Think Secret and a couple of other Mac websites in order to force them to reveal their sources. Everyone is up in arms about this (well, everyone in the Mac web, most people on the planet probably don't care) and most are of differing opinion.

Shawn argues that DePlume shouldn't be offered the same protections that a journalist would be because he isn't a journalist. Shawn goes even further and says that most bloggers aren't journalists either (though I am sure he would make an exception for TUAW). The most interesting point he makes though, is that Think Secret isn't a blog, so DePlume isn't a blogger.

Shawn isn't the only one who thinks that this lawsuit is fair, Damien Barrett
concurs. In fact, though I know it isn't the popular view, I agree with both Damien and Shawn. Think Secret published Apple trade secrets, that's not cool. If the NY Times did that Apple would sue them (remember Apple legal isn't exactly shy) but the NY Times has its own legal department, so they can take care of themselves.

Long post short, Think Secret was in the wrong and Apple has every right to find out who leaked their trade secrets.