I just became a journalist. A more honest one than Fox News too =)

and to the reply ^above^ ....NO, that post doesn't make you a journalist. Neither does posting here or commenting on a blog.

There is a skill set and a format to journalism, there are RULES. Just because anyone can post anything on the internet, doesn't make them a journalist. Even bloggers are not held to the same ethical standards as traditional news journalists, though depending on some of their content, they should be. (We recently debated this exact issue in my Ethics and Journalism class.)

I suggest you research the Society of Professional Journalists for a definition of Journalism and also look at their Code of Ethics to get a grip on what most of us consider to be a sacred trust. They are one of the top journalistic associations in the country and highly reputable. Freelancers are part of their membership as well.

While much of the MSM these days are questionable in their credibility, that doesn't mean you have to bash the rest of us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine

Maybe if we had kept some semblance of Journalistic integrity over the last decade or so, we would not even be having the conversations taking place today. But, as it stands, there are plenty of bloggers/board posters who are closer to real journalist than the "real journalists."

edit - I would claim that a message board, blog, twitter, or other medium could very well be used for journalism. What we are really talking about here is not "who is a journalist" but "who gets the protections of being a journalist." A solution is removing the protections and using the constitutional rights afforded every citizen. Otherwise it may just be protection money scheme by some entity. "Pay us for your get out of jail free card."

but yes, the decimation of the Fairness Doctrine was another part of the dismantling of the media as a credible institution. It just galls me because as a journalist, and a freelancer for the past 10 years, I find myself in a position where I may not be protected under the First Amendment while Fox News is considered one of the top news sources in the country!

Do you realize we went from having hundreds of news outlets in this country under independent rule to having them owned by a handful of corporations? Big money killed the Press as we knew it.

Especially when you realize WHO runs those 5 corporations and who they OWN in Govt....

Exactly.

good catch!
I don't know why they do.....but I certainly don't. But I have been told here at DU it's because I am paranoid.
(Because I believe that the Patriot Act section 215 and the NSA's datamining compromise our ability to offer confidentiality with sources, which is a very real and important aspect to investigative journalism.)

Medical doctor, lawyer, professional engineer, surveyor, real estate agent or pharmacist?

and have a minor in journalism, having written for two college newspapers (one of them, the U of MD's Diamondback.)

I'm all for the new blogger reality, but I do think that what we learned about the impossibility of "objectivity" while being fair and accurate n your reporting remains the ultimate goal of the journalist.

it's long been lost among most journalists, except for a few rare ones.

I would think that the new broader name for true journalists being called "pundits", would be a supreme insult.

Pundits to me are the same as all people having assholes and opinions. And often, it's difficult to tell the difference where the talk is coming from.

not journalism. It was starting back in the '80s when I was writing for papers/going to school.

I don't see how it is possible to give factual reporting and give consideration to public relations at the same time. It can be like oil and water.

People like Edwards R. Murrow, Helen Thomas and Maureen Dowd didn't and don't give a ratz-azz about being popular with the public or anyone for that matter...........

That is the true integrity of journalism. I'm old enough to miss that.

As I understand it from Chuck's viewpoint, a journalist is a conveyor belt of information, misinformation and messaging that delivers data indiscriminately but with speed . Quite an honorable profession the way he describes it . His parents must be soooo proud.