Copeland quoted in Baltimore Sun Article about Anonymous Blogger

David A. Copeland, the A.J. Fletcher professor of journalism in the School of Communications, was recently quoted in a Baltimore Sun article about an anonymous blogger who has riled up some Democrats in Maryland. The Internet unknown has started a Web site called www.omalleywatch.com, in which he has chronicled Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's (D) "broken promises."

In the article, Copeland said anonymous journalism is not a recent development. It was a tactic used by many journalists and printers in Colonial America as a way to defend themselves against possible charges of seditious libel.

"The fact is," Copeland said in the article, "the pseudonym is back, much in the way it was in the 18th century, via blogs and other online writings."

Copeland, a media history expert who has taught at Elon since 2001, has written nine books and has a 10th forthcoming this year.