There seems to be this debate going on whether “bloggers” are “journalists” or not.
From Dictionary.com, journalist:
jour·nal·ist
- One whose occupation is journalism.
- One who keeps a journal.
Ok, so anyone who “keeps a journal” is a journalist, and if we assume a “weblog” or “blog” is a journal, then we are all journalists.
Some people might be referring to that first bit, “One whose occupation is journalism” though, and that’s fine. Don’t think of yourself as a journalist, think of yourself as a reporter.
Hold on, let’s check on reporter:
re·port·er
- A writer, investigator, or presenter of news stories.
- A person who is authorized to write and issue official accounts of judicial or legislative proceedings.
Ok, I think we can cover that first one. Plenty of bloggers have presented news stories, that seems undeniable.
I remember years ago, when I knew somebody who screamed for a band saying they weren’t really a singer, and I told them that was ok, because while they may not have been a “singer” they were definitely a “vocalist” – yeah, I know, if you look those two words up they sort of point to each other in a circular motion, but the point is, if the word in use doesn’t match up to the expectations of the word in people’s eyes, find another word.
In other words, confuse people, and viplos bimcus!