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De Omnibus Dubitandum - Lux Veritas

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Journalism is an act, not a profession

By: Steven Greenhut 7/11/2013 02
SACRAMENTO –Watching some recent debates about who is a “real journalist” and who isn’t has been a source of amusement for me given that being a real journalist has not always been that great of an honor. When I told Mom I was getting a job in journalism, she was miffed that her son would waste a decent education on such a low-rent pursuit.
That question of journalistic authenticity, though, has been in the news as Congress has debated a “shield law” designed to protect journalists from government prosecution – an outgrowth of the Obama administration’s legal pursuit of people who leak and publish sensitive government information. (Without leaks, there would be little real journalism, by the way. And to government officials, everything is sensitive.)
Sen. Dick Durbin, that noted journalistic expert from Illinois, wrote that “we must define a journalist and the constitutional and statutory protections those journalists should receive.”….....news organizations sometimes dismiss serious writers and reporters as “bloggers,” as if to diminish the work they do. Wrote Rich: “Is David Gregory a journalist? …......[N]ame one piece of news he has broken, one beat he has covered with distinction, and any memorable interviews he’s conducted that were not with John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Dick Durbin or Chuck Shumer.” Ouch. Bravo to Rich. Journalism is about covering news, not echoing the talking points of government officials......To Read More…..

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