I see a small battle brewing here in Kentucky, concerning news and journalism. This battle sounds so much like Laura Ingraham when she speaks of Elitists.
I'd like to tell Bob White of Elizabethtown that it's great to be proud of the profession he's in. I'm proud of the one I'm in. Many people call us just computer programmers, although I personally like "Software Engineer". But hey, I can live with computer programmer.
Among those in my technical profession, there are great ones who have no degree at all, and lousy ones who have Ph.D's. What one comes into the job with doesn't always show how good they are. I'm sure journalism is much like that.
Personally, I think there are lots of folks in the journalism profession defending their turf at all costs. They are seeing their hold on news and opinion crumble. Like what occurred to the Cincinnati Post, even their finances are crumbling as well.
I understand them running scared. I would be scared as well.
Let's see again what Bob White wrote:
Mark is one of the most knowledgable reporters in Louisville and one of
the few true journalists with TV news. Others do a 5 second bit
consider themselves journalists, or grab their news from the local
paper and regurgitate it - not Hebert. He does his own work -
blogs are blogs, too - they're not meant for true news, just opinions, rumors and BS
So I've taken 30 seconds to defend Mark and school others to not confuse blogs as journalism.
Journalism, as defined on dictionary.com, is:
–noun | 1. |
the
occupation of reporting, writing, editing, photographing, or
broadcasting news or of conducting any news organization as a business.
|
| 3. |
a course of study preparing students for careers in reporting, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines. |
| 4. |
writing
that reflects superficial thought and research, a popular slant, and
hurried composition, conceived of as exemplifying topical newspaper or
popular magazine writing as distinguished from scholarly writing: He calls himself a historian, but his books are mere journalism. |
That last definition intrigues me. If journalism truly is writing reflecting a superficial thought, or just a hurried composition, then yes, we aren't journalists. I'm better than that. If, however, definition number 1 fits, then maybe we are journalists. Our blog is more opinion on the news, but folks have commented on finding out things for the first time by reading something here. Sounds like news to me. So, we don't make any money at it. Newspapers aren't making much, if any at all, these days.
So, Bob White, you've expressed your opinion to the public. So has Jefferson Poole at Blue Grass Red State. Now, so have I. This nation is great! We get to do this, in public no less! I look forward to more days, where all 3 of us can express, in your words, our "opinions, rumors and BS."
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