In a draft advisory opinion the Federal Election Commission has ruled that a blog, not owned by a political candidate or political party, still qualifies for the so-called press exemption from campaign finance laws.

The commission applied a two-pronged approach to determining whether the blog, Fired Up, qualified for the press exemption.

The first prong is “press entity status,” whether the blog is “both available to the general public and are the online equivalent of a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication as described in the Act and Commission regulations.” It found that Fired Up qualified, as it offered both news and editorial commentary.

The second prong is the ownership test, or whether the blog is “owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate.” Fired Up passed this test as well.

So it’s pretty clear that as long as you are offering news and opinion, and you aren’t owned or controlled by any particular political party, committee, or candidate, that the press exemption applies to you.

(Hat tips: Hammer of Truth; Hit and Run; Instapundit)