Image from: http://science.nayland.school.nz/hamishm/
Unless you’ve been in a cave the past week or so, you’ve no doubt heard about the tangle the folks at Gizmodo got themselves in when they came into possession of what appears to be a next gen iPhone.
Essentially, some unlucky soul from Apple left his iPhone 4 in a bar. Someone found it. Recognized the potential for making a few bucks and sold it to Gizmodo to the (i)tune of 5 grand. And that’s where the trouble begins. It’s possible that the folks maybe in some trouble with the po-lice, something about receiving stolen property or somesuch. Warrants were served and property seized. What a mess.
Part of how this may play out has to do with protection that journalists have regarding source materials. This is where the big question comes up: Are bloggers journalists? A fine question and one that merits some debate, I’m sure.
I’m a blogger. Do I consider myself a journalist? Not in the accepted meaning of the term, I guess. I write articles and sometimes they are for the purpose of print media. When I write for magazines, I guess I consider myself tap dancing on journalistic lines. Even then, I think journalist = news articles for papers, Newsweek, Huffington or other liberal based media outlets.
Forgoing the previous paragraph, I think that a blogger could be considered a journalist. Many bloggers write newsworthy topics and in this day and age when the lines are blurred between print and electronic media, does it really make a difference whether the header is an image from the NYT or from George’s Wide World of Wacky Crap? I’m not sure it does make a difference. At the most base premise, a journalist researches a topic and writes an article on what they have found. Should it matter which media is the recipient of the work? I don’t really think so.
Is the research acumen or writing style better because an article ends up at the NYT instead of Gizmodo? I think not. Lord knows I’ve seen hack writing at the big boys just as often as anywhere else on the web. With that said, at one point does a blogger become accepted as a journalist? Does it have to do with the number of articles they have published? Is it based on the number of RSS Subscribers to a site? How about overall traffic? Maybe it has to do with advertising dollars earned?
I’m really wondering if anyone has a solid answer to this. All I know is that there is a potential here to define blogging in a way that many will hate to admit.
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Wow. I guess I have been in a cave (um, actually that’d be on an Amish farm!) LOL
I don’t know, though.
I’ve had some people ask if I was a journalist (mostly when I write for local newspapers) but I don’t feel like I am. I didn’t really go through college for it and I don’t feel like a reporter. Maybe I feel like a reporter and journalist are the same thing – don’t you?
I guess I “report” on health stuff.
Hmmm….
I’m interested in seeing the responses to this post. Great one, George – as always!!!
Of course, I didn’t really help much, did I? LOL
Hey Michele,
I think your comment hits the nail on the head, actually. There is a whole lot of gray area here and whilst I think most times labels are useless, the moniker may have implications for this certain individual.
I’ll take an Amish farm over a cave any day!
George
Well George,
I must say, I heard a news bite something about a phone, blah, blah, blah, but since it didn’t interest me, I didn’t pay much attention to the story. BTW: We have caves in our area, so I’ll use that excuse – even though I haven’t been in them, Heh heh.
I don’t think of myself as a journalist, however, what really defines a journalist? Someone who has a degree in journalism? Or is it something more?
Then I’d have to ask – Blogs are often defined as online journals. We write blogs, so…wouldn’t that make us journalists?
Okay, now that I’ve confused the issue and didn’t answer your question, I’m going back to my journal. I mean blog….
Cheerio!
.-= Barbara Swafford´s last blog ..Count The Words or Make Each Word Count =-.
Hi Barbara,
The waters are indeed muddy – mayhap from cave run-off? Hehe.
I wonder if the Supreme Court will end up sorting it out.
George
Hmmm, this one’s got me thinking. I think if someone has a degree in journalism, that’d be more clear. But, I don’t think a person needs a degree to report or write about what she or he sees in the world.
Isn’t that what journalism is all about? Writing about observations?
OK, you’re going to think I’m a total geek, but I need to go to Webster’s for guidance here:
Here’s their definition:
1 a : the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media b : the public press c : an academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news or the management of a news medium
2 a : writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine b : writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation c : writing designed to appeal to current popular taste or public interest
Based on part of this definition, bloggers are certainly journalists (e.g., writing designed to appeal to current popular taste? YES!). I think, however, that often us bloggers rarely report news or observations without an interpretation — so I think that could be the difference here. Hardcore journalism only reports the facts, right?
Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a clip from FOX news that wasn’t gravy-ladened with interpretations from the network.
Ugh, I’m not sure I helped much here. I’ll be following along in the comments — ’twas an interesting post, George!
.-= Lori (JaneBeNimble)´s last blog ..What I Learned from Racing =-.
Hi Lori,
I go to the ol’ Websters all the time for stuff like this. Thanks for doing the legwork
I love the “without an attempt at interpretation”. Yeah right. Apparently this one defies the laws of physics or something because I’ve yet to see any mainstream media outlet avoid this pothole.
When I worked as a Paramedic in LA, we would go to some big ol’ incident and later, while watching the evening news I’d scratch my head wondering if we were all at the same event.
Oy.
Actually Lori, this was one of the best contributions to the discussion!
George
The issue is not if bloggers are journalists who have immunity for protecting sources. The problem is any journalist is not allowed to commit a crime and escape responsibility by hiding behind a press shield.
Gizmodo paid $5000 for an unreleased prototype and printed photographs of it. California law is that the finder of lost property has legal responsibility to make an effort to return it or turn it in to authorities – not sell it to a web site that buys it knowing that it was not acquired legally. That is trafficking in stolen property. A journalist buying information is not the same as a journalist buying physical property from someone who knowingly acquired it from the legal owner without their permission.
The San Mateo prosecutors office and a judge agreed that a crime was committed and issued a search warrant on that interpretation. A court can address the case, but I suspect that press freedom is not relevant to that process.
.-= MM´s last blog ..Fly Again =-.
Hey MM,
Which is exactly why this one will be interesting to watch. I don’t believe the person in question has brought up the shield issue, I think it has been the legal pundits.
Thanks for dropping by and commenting.
George