Who is a journalist?
As cases continue cropping up raising the question of whether bloggers' deserve the protection of the "reporter's privilege" and other rights traditionally reserved for professional journalists, Slate's Jacob Weisberg has a very enlightened take on the question of who is a journalist in this new world order:
Those who advocate a special legal privilege for journalists must accept that anyone who thinks he's a journalist is a journalist, and figure out how to protect the activity rather than a defined group of people. Properly understood, journalism has never been simply a trade or a profession. In a democracy like ours, it's a basic right.
Mar 14, 2005 | E-MAIL | SAVE | PRINT | PERMALINK | DISCUSS(3)
Discussion
3 comments about 'Who is a journalist?'Yes. Precisely. Journalism is a behavior, and the presence or absence of that behavior determines whether one is a journalist in any particular context.
The Framers got it right. We should, too.
Posted by Lex at March 14, 2005 11:16 AM
Absolutely correct. This is a terrible thing that the fourth estate must confront with tooth and claw.
Posted by JOnny at March 16, 2005 5:19 AM
that makes sense,because if anyone who says they're a journalist is one.. they're following certain practices that are widely recognized
blogging is just a new way of performing an old craft... its not a profession but it is a craft.. like shoemaking
if you forget to stitch the soles to the rest of the shoe, it's not going to be a very good shoe
Posted by judiju at March 20, 2005 12:54 PM
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