It's great to see a dialogue on new definitions emerge. We need them to seperate bloggers from the journalists that aren't necessarily part of the big media machine.
Stand alone jounralist is a a term coined by Chris Nolan. Here's his definition:
is someone who works to get the stories they find interesting told in an honest and forthright manner without the benefit of working for a larger news outlet. That doesn't mean they're objective or impartial; it means they're honest about their points of view or assumptions. A stand alone journalist understands that the main job is to inform readers; and the ethics that salaried journalists have when it comes to fairness, accuracy and honesty aren't just phrases. They're a discipline for doing the work that needs to be done: getting your facts right, your assumptions validated, your arguments well grounded.
She goes on to say:
Stand alone journalists are the next iteration of on-line news professionals. They stand alone because they aren't salaried by existing news outlets. They aren't part of an institution but seek to become one. They may be freelancers--many are--but the work they do on the web isn't under contract for a larger entity.
For more, Jay has the definitive guide over at PressThink.