Are bloggers real journalists?

Are bloggers real journalists?

One reason why this question is so important and necessary to be addressed today is because of the popularity of blogs posted throughout the internet. With so many blogs instead of official articles that can be associated with a particular newspaper, the reader needs to know that they can trust the bloggers information.

I think another way that we can look at this, is to ask yourself: does anyone who owns a journal have the title “journalist.” The answer to that is no. Blogs, just like journals can most often be more accredited as a log of personal thoughts and emotions. It is a place where someone can elaborate on their biases and opinions and escape from logic and reality for their dreams and hopes. A blog can be just that, with the exception that the writer is intending for others to know his or her opinions and thoughts.

A journalist, whether in print or online, is someone who writes with the facts as their main priority and only uses commentary if it is eluded as such and/or if they are, for example, a critic of a particular sort. As long as a writer reports facts and leaves out bias, then they can be considered an accurate and credible journalist. But again, it depends on the subject matter on which they are blogging. A blogger who gives opinions on local restaurants could be considered a journalist as long as they’re not glorifying or executing every eatery out there based on personal bias or just a single element such as a bad waitress or an authentic décor. Anyone could write that biased or that credibly. Bloggers just haven’t been hired or rejected yet from the newspapers.

If a blogger is writing about a local city government’s council meetings because they feel strongly about the policies they are making, then this could get tricky. A professional journalist knows how to address government issues and play the watchdog role without letting personal issues get in the way. To be considered a real journalist, or at least a credible one, they would have to separate their information about the meetings from their commentary on them. Commentaries and opinions don’t make someone not a journalist, because newspapers have editorials too, but the difference is when you don’t expect people to view your commentary and opinions as the news and information they should factually know rather than just a personal opinion they can consider.

One major issue that becomes tied in with this question is if a blogger is a real journalist, should they be protected by the Federal Shield Law that protects journalists from having to reveal their sources in court.

In my opinion, if a blogger has built enough accreditation that they can be interviewed by state or federal officials for the information they have posted, there is no question that they should be considered a journalist. The government is not going to waste their time looking into a blogger’s posts if they have not demonstrated some kind of authenticity of facts in multiple topics of interest. Therefore, I do think that a blogger has the right to be protected under the Federal Shield Law for journalists. If any government official needs to contact their sources, they can do other police work to get a witness than by going through a blogger.