Bloggers and the public have the same First Amendment protections as journalists

Considering the state of journalism, there isn’t any difference between bloggers and reporters. Neither have to provide evidence in support of their story before they go to print or on the air. Why should journalists be protected from the consequences of their actions, and be allowed to be irresponsible in their reporting?
I believe in freedom of the press, free speech, etc… but until the standard of reporting is raised, I don’t think journalists should be immune while bloggers are penalized. It’s a mess.