9:37 pm Eastern
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"We have to be able to rely on the source and to understand the credentials of the source," he told Fox.
He reported that he'd run into reporters in Michigan state political coverage who work for publications he's never seen, and a process to vet those workers would be appropriate.
His bill would have reporters provide to state officials documentation of their good moral character and their ability to operate by ethics standards "acceptable to the board."
Patterson, whose plan initially would be voluntary, also suggests requiring a degree in journalism or other "substantially equivalent" degree and not less than three years experience as a reporter, Fox said.
However, officials with the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity suggested the plan is a nonstarter at the outset.
"By introducing a bill to license journalists, Michigan state Sen. Bruce Patterson is attempting to control the press and is stepping on constitutional protections," said Jason Stverak, chief of the organization that promotes social welfare and civil betterment through programs that promote journalism and the education of the public about corruption and fraud in government.
"There is a reason why this is a single sponsor bill and has not received much support in the legislature," Stverak said.
The center, founded just last year, is a nonpartisan group that believes new technology can advance the cause of transparency in government.
Stverak noted that components of the "traditional media" are laying off staff members and failing to meet the needs of the public at the same time journalists are needed to monitor politicians and elected officials.
"Our country needs more watchful eyes on our elected officials, not legislation that outlaws the truth from emerging," Stverak said.
While Patterson told Fox that his plan may not have the support to become law, he said he wanted to raise questions about how he feels it's hard to say who is a journalist.
WND columnist Andrea Shea King has written about the new media, and its impact.
"The shift from the way we traditionally got our news in the past to today's instant communication is revolutionary. Some compare it to the invention of the printing press. Whether it's social media sites like Twitter or news sites catered towards citizen journalism, the active voice of the eyewitness is now a significant part of any story taking place in the world," she reported.
