We're impressed by Bloggasm's Simon Owens. In response to Chez Pazienza being sacked by CNN earlier this year for blogging, Owens wondered if there were other news outlets that would be as equally outraged. From his blog:

To complete the survey, I sent emails to editors and publishers of 250 newspapers - five for each state - containing this question:

Question: Would you allow your staff writers, without prior approval, to blog during their free time after work as long as they don't write about the beats they cover for your newspaper?

To provide clarity, I added this example:

EXAMPLE: A staff writer for your newspaper covers the local courts and cops beat and then goes home and writes in his personal blog about the national presidential election. He does this without asking for your permission. Would you be fine with this?

We ask: Are there five newspapers in North Dakota?

Of the 250 surveyed, 39 responded. Twenty-two — 56% — said they wouldn’t mind if writers blogged on non-beat issues without obtaining permission. The remaining 17 — 44% — either required disclosure of the blog, issued caveats over what subjects couldn’t be covered, or had outright bans on having personal blogs at all.

UPDATE: One of readers sent us this:
Chez Pazienza was a former executive producer at KCAL. I used to work with him. Nice enough guy although he's a bit sanctimonious in his Huffington Post posts.

Indeed.