Are Bloggers Journalists

1. AreBloggers Journalists?? Inourworldofglobalcommunication,bloggershavebecomego-to resourceson awidevarietyof topics.Peoplerelyupontheinformationsharedbybloggersforbothpersonaland professional growth,butthequestionremainswhetherornotthesebloggershaveearnedtheirplacein the esteemed industryofjournalism. Arebloggersjournalists?No.Bloggersarenotconsideredjournalistsbecausetheyimbuetheir articleswith opinion whereasjournalistsreport provablefacts. Despitethisspecificdifferencebetweenbloggersandjournalists,thedebateaboutwhattruly separatesonefrom theothercontinuestosparkcontroversyand conversation. TheLegalDivide Credibilityiskeywhenyouareresearchingwho totrustforinformation,regardlessofthetopic. Journalistsarecrediblebecausetheypubliclyrepresent establishedmediaoutlets.Theyare protectedbytheproverbialany friendofyoursisafriendofminementality.Theyarealsoprotected bysomethingcalled ashield law. “Shieldlaw,intheUnitedStates,isanylawthatprotectsjournalistsagainstthecompelled disclosureofconfidentialinformation,includingtheidentitiesoftheirsources,ortheforced surrenderofunpublishedwrittenmaterialcollectedduringnewsgathering,suchasnotes.”(Source) Undertheselaws,journalistsareaffordedalllegalprotectionsundertheFirstAmendmentofthe Constitution. Thisisbecauseajournalistisso-calledbasedupontheirabilityto meetseven,court defined qualifications. QualificationsofaJournalist Bachelor’sdegreein journalismorasimilarmajor. Presspassassignedbyarecognizednewsentity Pristineadherenceto journalisticstandards(fact-checking,disclosuresofconflictsof interest, etc.) Meticulousnotetakingofconversationsandinterviewsconducted Maintainsconfidentialityofsourcesat all times Writingmustbeoriginal Commitment toreportingfromall related perspectives FactorFiction Whileanybloggermaymeetseveralorevenallofthesejudiciallyapprovedqualifications,they receiveno legallovedueto theassumedinherent biasin theinformation theypublish. Bloggerswriteaboutpersonalsubjectslikeparenting,shopping,overcomingtraumas…younameit. Whatevertheywriteabout,theyareundernorequirement to provethatanythingtheypublish is actuallytrue.Evenbusinessbloggersareundernoobligationto supporttheirstatements.Granted, theyshould.Buttheydon’thaveto.Andbecausetheydon’thaveto theyarenotlegallyresponsible forwhateveryou do with theinformation theyprovide. Thereisadarksidetothisfreedom,however.Themajorityofblogentriesareanecdotalandoften rooted in opinion.Oncean opinionismadepublic,itcan bedeemedspurious,orsimplyput,fake.

2. Anyonecancallblogcontentinto questionandsuchasituationcanquicklyescalateinto alegal matterifsomeonefeelsharmedenough bywhat isstatedtosuefordefamation. • CelebritySkin • Theinternetdidn’tjust createa wholenew world,it launcheda world-sizedmarketplace.Brand influencersarenolongerMadMenlurkingin darkbarsandconferencerooms.Theyareeveryone andtheyareeverywhere.Bloggerswhocancultivatealargeenoughandloyalenoughfollowingcan leveragethatfanbaseintobookdeals,brandendorsements,livetours,TVappearances,andmore. Ragstorichesin infinitum. • Journalists,too,havetheabilityto achievegreatacclaim,butinnowaynearaslucrativelyas bloggers.And that’swhatmakesworkingwith bloggersextraappealing. • What’sInAName • According to Jay Baer, award-winning Internet pioneer with 26 years of experience to work helping the world’s most iconic brands improve their digital marketing and customer experience, there are fourmain differencesbetween journalistsand reporters: • Bloggersareself-made • Bloggersare time-starved • Bloggers needtrafficand influence • Bloggers want to co-createcontent with you Conversely, thiswould meanthat: • Journaliststakeguidedstepstoearntheirmerit(seeabovequalifications) • Journalistshaveto beextremelystrategicwiththeir timemanagement • Journalistshaveaready-madeandcaptiveaudience • Journalistsmaynotplaywellwith others. • Which stairwayto successissuperiorboilsdown topersonalpreference. • FirstCome,FirstServed • Journalistsandbloggerstraveldifferentpathsthroughtheircareersyettheirtimelinesare intertwined. It’saninterestinglycodependentrelationship,actually. • Journalistshaveaccessto newsandeventswaybeforethegeneralpublic and thispublic includes bloggers.Withoutthiscontent, bloggerswould hard-pressedtokeep comingup withoriginal contentto discuss. Whenthemediacuprunnethover, however,bloggershavetimeontheirside. ThePressisan industrythatisrun likeawell-oiledmachine.Thewritingcanbeformulaic andthe schedulesunforgiving.Disappointingly,nooneyells“stopthepresses”halfasmuchasallthe1980’s movieshadusbelieving.Ontheflipside,bloggersneedwaitfornogreen-visoredcurmudgeonwith a secret softsidetoget theircopyin thehandsofthepublic. • “Media isallabout gettingnewsout to thepublicFAST.Thisisan advantagethatbloggershave • over journalists. With traditional news media, they have to wait for the next paper to be printed or the next television or radio show to occur. Bloggers can put out new information within seconds at anytimetheywant.” (Source) • Breakingnewsisavailableatthedingofapushnotificationand ifyou’renotfirst,you’relast. • StraighttotheSource

3. Bloggersandjournalistsalikearen’tevensureonwhichsideofthejobpooltheystand,norwhich sidetheyprefer. Isoneconsideredbetterthan theother? Morerespectable? SkillsthatPaytheBills Full-timebloggerEthicalUnicornwrote,“Ioftenfeellikethere’saninvisiblenegativeconnotation aroundsayingyou’reablogger,likeyourworkislessvalid. Ioften findmyselfsayingthingslike‘I’m a blogger,butIdon’twriteabout vapid things!’,andthenimmediatelyfeelingabsolutelyawful.” Shecontinues,“ButIguessit’sthisimageofthedemocratic natureoftheinternetthatcanmake bloggers seem less legitimate. If there’s no barrier to entry, no cultural gatekeeper that needs to let us pass, then how can people trust that we’re actually worthy of being taken seriously? Or that our writingisanygood?” Thisbringsusrightbackto thosepeskyqualificationswediscussedearlier.Doesitreallycome down to journalistsarejournalistsbecausethey simplypaidtheirdues?CarolynCohn,Chief Editor ofCompuKolCommunicationsLLC, a communicationsconsultingfirm,thinksso. Shestatesthat“ifsomeonehasneverwrittenbeforeandheorshegetsstartedbywritingblogs, theskillsthatareneededto beaprofessionaljournalistcanbeacquiredthatway.However,blog writingandjournalistic writingaredefinitelynotoneandthesame.Beingajournalistand the approachtowritingat timesrequiresaverydifferent skill set.” AgreeingwithCohnisjournalism expert,TonyRogers.“Manyreporters,especiallythoseatthe largestnewsorganizations,havefollowedtheirbeatsforyears.Sowhetherit’saWashington bureauchiefwritingaboutWhiteHousepoliticsoralongtimesportscolumnistcoveringthelatest draftpicks,chancesaretheycanwritewithauthoritybecausetheyknow thesubject.” (Source) If YouBlogIt,They WillCome(toyour website) Blogging serves more purposes that reporting or commenting on past, present, and future events. Blogs may not necessarily bring in the bucks, but they do now play an integral role in the direction thosebuckscould beheaded. Transactionalrelationshipsbloom moreoften in cyberspacenow than theydoontheshowroom floor. Whereasagiant,inflatabledogtoywavingatyou fromin frontofacardealershipwindow mayhaveattractedyoureyebackin theday,businessesarenowtryingto convinceyou to shop on theirwebsiteandbloggingisoneofthewaystheygetyou throughtheproverbialdoor. TheFinalWord Bloggersmaynotyetholdtheprivilegeandesteemofthejournalistswhohavepavedtheirway, buttheyaren’t veryfarbehind. Pre-internetstricturesarecrumblingasthelinesbetweenthetwo becomemoreblurred.Timewilltelluswhowillultimatelyhavethefinalsayonthematter.We’ll just havetoclicktofind out.