Bloggers are journalists too. We may not have gone to journalism school but that just means we are a different type of journalist. Is a homeschool mom not a teacher? She didn’t go to teacher’s college but she is still a teacher, just a different type of teacher. Same thing.
What is a journalist?
A journalist is a person who collects, writes, or distributes news or other current information. – Wikipedia
What do I do as a blogger? I collect, write and distribute information and sometimes new and current events too. I think it depends on what type of blogger you are. Some are more journalist than others. But basically it’s the same.
I may make any journalists who have gone to college angry by saying this but many bloggers are equally as mad at being treated like less than a journalist, especially when it comes to working with brands.
A journalist can work with general issues or specialize in certain issues. – Wikipedia
A lifestyle blogger works with general issues while a food blogger, travel blogger, book blogger or gaming blogger specializes in certain issues.
However, most journalists tend to specialize, and by cooperating with other journalists, produce journals that span many topics. For example, a sports journalist covers news within the world of sports, but this journalist may be a part of a newspaper that covers many different topics. – Wikipedia
Does that not sound like the definition of a blog with many collaborators? There are blogs with multiple contributors who cover different topics, quite a few of them actually.
The US court has actually ruled that bloggers are journalists too.
I found this infographic on bloggers vs journalists but I don’t agree with all it has to say. Many of the stats are correct but I don’t see why appealing to emotions for example means a blogger is not a journalist.
Also it mentions meeting and interviewing celebrities and getting free entry and backstage passes as perks for journalists. Well I know bloggers who do both.
I think we need to identify a different type of journalist known as bloggers. Maybe we need a new definition.
What do you think?
* This post was inspired by Jeff Goins Blogging Challenge