Define "Journalist"

So are you the one on the left or the right?

(ducking)

 

Yes, I consider myself a journalist. I go to sporting events, write about what happened and that information is then presented to readers.

Now, within the broad heading of "journalist," there are many sub-categories: Reporters, columnists, photogs, agate clerks, editors, headline writers, designers, etc.

You could make a point that anyone who contributes to how readers perceive an event is a journalist. The guy/gal who puts the headline on my story or shoots the photo to go with it can have as much a role in my story as I do.

And, 21, I have to disagree that by definition being a journalist means adding artistry to a story. I wish that were true. Sadly, in our profession, too often nothing could be further from the truth.

 

I appreciate the mention, n_w, but I don't think, now going on eight years into my career, that I've ever called myself a journalist. When people ask me what I do for a living, I usually tell them that I'm a writer.

Even when I was a newspaper guy, I would call myself a reporter or a sports writer (the latter is what I had on my card).

Not sure why I never used "journalist." I think in my mind, at least, a journalist is a more dogged reporter than I've ever been -- I think of journalists as being more hard-hitting than the stuff I do. I rarely break news; when I think of a journalist, I almost always think of someone who breaks news -- that breaking news is their first job, regardless of the medium they use.

I'll also suggest that beats work their way into my personal definition. I'd be more inclined to call a political columnist or a business reporter a journalist than, say, an arts or a life writer.

I don't mean that as a slight. I'd rather read an arts or life writer most of the time.

But I think that goes back to my news-breaking angle. If I'm being honest, I feel like you're a journalist only if a big part of your job is breaking news, and hard news at that. Otherwise, you're a reporter or a writer or a broadcaster or whatever.

Not saying I'm right here. Just what the word means to me.

 

I'm torn on this. And I guess what I'm torn about is this -- are "journalist" and "newspaperperson" synonymous?

I know I'm a newspaperman. And I know I can make journalists/writers better through what I do.

As for whether I'm a journalist myself ... man, I just don't know. I try to make decisions like a journalist. But unless I'm collecting the news myself ... ?

 

OK, as usual Shottie said it better than me. I think a lot of us who desk feel this way.

 

In the past day before reading this thread, I got to wondering how I would sum up my working life in the manner we run obituaries at my newspaper. The name, usually age and word(s) to describe the person. I thought it should be "journalist."

 

Interesting. So, let's say someone started a Web site called SportsJournalists.com ... would that be a place where a couple dozen writers in sports would swap ideas and conversation with each other? 

Nah, forget it. It would never happen. Nobody would launch something like that for a couple dozen people.

 

I guess Goofballs.com was already taken.

I realize this is all semantics--no one says 'We're looking to hire a sports journalist....sorry, you're just a sports writer, best of luck!' Jones' post reflects what I was thinking...I don't know a lot of folks in the business who refer to themselves as 'journalists'....it always sounds lofty to me. Purely subjective, I'm sure. In my mind, 'journalist' isn't the same as 'someone who works in journalism.' No disrespect to anyone who sees it differently.

 

What I great question. I've pondered this over the few hours since the thread was started and I come up completely blank. So blank, in fact, that I'm going to take the cheap way out and crib somebody's definition from a completely different topic.

"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of [people] I understand to be embraced [as journalists]. . . but I know it when I see it . . . "

Shottie, I do think "newspaper person" and "journalist" are pretty close to the same if not synonymous. I think it's entirely possible to be a journalist without writing a word (though it probably helps if you have written). To me being a journalist is as much  a rhythm to how you carry yourself and conduct your business as it is a specific skill set. I've know people who did nothing more than sit behind a desk and edit 10 hours a day, but the ideas they came up with, their ability to bring out the best in writers, the ability to bring out the best in a story, knowledge of deadline pressure, etc. certainly made them journalists.

I know editors that are. I know editors that aren't. I know sports reporters that are and sports writers that aren't. Columnist that are. Columnists that aren't. Again, I just know it when I see it.

 

Yes, that may indeed be the definition. It's as much HOW you handle your duties as what your duties are.

Incidentally, this is one of the first images offered up by Google for "journalist":

 

Sirs, Madames,

Asked what I do for a living I always say "I write." More expansively I might say, "I write for a living." Never say that I'm "a writer." Certainly not "a reporter." I would go to a Halloween party as "a journalist." You know, trench coat, fedora, notepad. Saying stuff like "sweetheart, get me rewrite" and "dateline ... London."

I don't feel qualified to say what makes somebody a journalist, though I'm tempted to say that those who think of themselves that way likely aren't--and those who are thought of that way by others likely are.

Pushed, I'd say Murrow was, Don Hewitt still wants to be and Sy Hersch is. That said, Murrow sold his soul worse than Bob Woodward has.

YHS, etc

 

Certainly it's a question of semantics, which is kind of fun because of what most of us do.

No offense taken here. I just thought it would be worth a chuckle or two to remind people of the name of this Web site.