A Heated Debate About Bloggers As Journalists

SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 30:  Newspapers are se...

What season that has now come to a close. Relaxing and partying on was the name of the game. Funny, but the harder you work the more you tend to enjoy the breaks. 2009 was indeed a very hard year of work, hardly any holiday time – I think we had four days this year - So this Christmas and New Year was especially appreciated for getting out of work mode and into the swing of celebration on both religious and secular fronts.

I have to say with all that went on there was just one thing that has stuck in my mind during this period. It was a heated debate with a professional Bulgarian journalist who I met. He was a friend of a friend and we were acquainted a few days after Christmas. He is now middle aged and has been a journalist since he was 18 years old straight from college. He works for a local newspaper writing about Yambol topics including a fair range of subject from sport to current affair and even recipes. Apart from a few words of English he was from the old school of Bulgarians who dabbled in a bit of Russian for a second language.

It all began when this tall well built, unshaven looking Bulgarian asked what I do in Bulgaria, he was under the assumption like most that I had a hefty pension and was here to party on till death. It was a bit of a shock when I said that I work for a living here. He was even more shocked when I told him that for a living here I work in a boiler factory during the day and have many blogs writing in the evening and at weekends to make ends meet.

Most Bulgarians I meet are cold to start with and warm up only after a few minutes of talking, it was the other way around with this chap. It seemed that once he had found that I write about Yambol and Bulgaria and publish the work I write, including my book that was published just over a year ago, he looked at me as competition and started putting bloggers down. He considered bloggers an untalented group of people who give journalists a bad name as they consider themselves as journalists many without any writing background, training or experience. I explained that in the main blogger write for a hobby and to pick up a little earning if they can to cover their costs and there was nothing wrong in that. He begged to differ saying that blogging as a hobby isn’t wrong, but the reams of junk they write shouldn’t be allowed to be published as 99% of it is substandard!

He was getting really uptight about it and the conversation took a turn to arguing about the freedom to express yourself in writing no matter what level you are at. My best for of defence here was to attack and not try and justify nothing wrong with my writing being published even if it isn’t up to professional standards, (whatever that means!) I started asking the questions now. Having already known he left school at 18, he only had the normal diploma of serving his time in school, something equivalent of a couple of ‘A’ levels. A asked what journalist training he had since leaving school. He avoided the question by saying that he had been writing for newspapers for 30 years now and was a maestro of his trade. I attacked again by saying “So you haven’t had any formal training or any qualification as a journalist!” Again he changed the subject moving on to mention the stories he had covered over the years including an interview with the President a few years ago.

We continued to debate fiercely the question on whether blogger could call themselves ‘journalists’. I argued the case that with an Honours Degree and a couple of Post Graduate Qualifications as well as many years experience teaching student of all ages as well as having my book published (and many having been sold) I was actually far more qualified to be a journalist than he was. (You could tell that chap was getting up my nose a bit). Bulgarians don’t like it up them you know (From Mr Jones in Dad’s Army if you were wondering). His loudness suddenly became subdued at this point and perhaps a degree of respect come out once he had found that working in a boiler factory was in no way commensurate to my educational background.

Our talking was back to talking rather than shouting (although shouting is still a normal way of talking here in debate). We agreed to differ substantially over the question: ‘Should bloggers should be allowed to call themselves journalists?’ He wouldn't even consider the tag ‘amateur journalists. In fact I recall him saying that all blogger should be shot with the bad writing they come out with and publish. It was just as well I didn't mention that I was dyslexic as I'm sure that this would have brewed up another heated debate on whether dyslexics should be allowed to write - And I would have ended up punching the guy!

Well, the evening was quite memorable and like I said sticks in my mind more than any thing else that went on over the last two weeks. I think that this ‘journalist’ has a closed mind and from what I gathered about his opinions I don’t think I would be tempted to read his presumably ‘closed minded’ articles, unless it is a recipe perhaps.

What do you think? Do you feel that bloggers are journalists? I for one read many blogs everyday and in the main it is journalism. By definition a journalist is a person who either is “someone whose occupation is journalism,” which accounts for the Bulgarian newspaper journalist I met, or, “someone who keeps a journal” and this of course meets the vast majority of blogger vocations.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

10 comments:

  1. Temenouzhka Zahariev3 January 2010 at 12:43

    Journalism is expected to enrich people's minds with checked information and ideas, it aims to connect - the same with blogging, the only difference is that blogging is much more accessible. And it is true that much of it "isn’t up to professional standards, (whatever that means!)", but it easy to find the same in printed media, especially in the last years in Bulgaria. Still, you should not consider this person an example of the way majority thinks and acts. I suppose that you could have met such a journalist elsewhere in the world.

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  2. Hi Temenouzhka,
    You comments are noted and I do agree, in addition I think the point of any journalism like mention is about is about effective and accurate communication of information. Many bloggers do this very effectively, but even if they don't the freedom of speech (or style of speech) here is at stake in blinkered opinions given by a certain party. I too must clarify that this particular person certainly doesn't constitute the norm of professional journalists' attitude. I've met other who b lissfully encourage expression through writing, (including blogging) good, bad or indifferent!

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  3. Martin In Bulgaria3 January 2010 at 16:12

    Hi Temenouzhka,
    You comments are noted and I do agree, in addition I think the point of any journalism like mention is about is about effective and accurate communication of information. Many bloggers do this very effectively, but even if they don't the freedom of speech (or style of speech) here is at stake in blinkered opinions given by a certain party. I too must clarify that this particular person certainly doesn't constitute the norm of professional journalists' attitude. I've met other who b lissfully encourage expression through writing, (including blogging) good, bad or indifferent!

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  4. This is a debate that has been raging in the States for quite a while and I don't think it makes a lot of sense. Asking if bloggers are journalists is like asking if people with televisions shows are journalists. Some are, some are not. Some write comedy, some write opinions, some write news. Some aspire, no matter how successfully to journalistic standards, others do not. It is the same, whether your are talking about television, radio or blogs.

    It seems as if the bigger issue is that with the advent of blogging, anyone can start writing and call themselves a journalist. Some may be good, some may be bad. Of course the same happens in traditional journalism as well, some may be good, some may be bad.

    The difference is that it used to be that you had to get a degree or some other sort of credentials before being considered a journalist. Now, anyone can start a blog and call themselves a journalist.

    Traditional journalists who are not comfortable with their own abilities view this as a threat. When journalism was an exclusive guild, their hard earned credentials is what admitted them to the club, and not their ability. Now, credentials matter less and ability matters more. That is good for bloggers and journalists that want to be the best they can be. Yet for those who are comfortable with their status in a guild, seeing the walls to the guild torn down can be very frightening and threatening.

    At least that is the way I see it, and I call my self both a journalist and a blogger.

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  5. Martin In Bulgaria4 January 2010 at 20:33

    Hello Aldon,
    You make some very valid points and certainly add a degree of clarification on the journalist title. In this particular case I think you hit the nail on the head when you say that professional journalists that are not comfortable with their own abilities feel threatened by the invasion of 'amateur journalists' and bloggers. The evening became and uncomfortable debate when he found out I wrote on subject in tandem with him albeit in two very different languages and to a very contrasted readers' market.

    I personally consider myself as an author and blogger and up until I met this insecure journalist never really considered the title of journalist, but now perhaps do (not out of spite I might add.)

    In addition - Happy New Year Aldon :)

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  6. What a horrible stuck up snob he was!

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  7. Um, sorry - I meant to write a bit more than that. Let's just think of this... I don't know many journalists who have absolutely loyal supporters who read what they right daily and even buy the newspaper just to check if they've maybe written a piece that day. Bloggers don't write for the great unknown, we just don't. We build up relationships and meet like-minded people and we have many, many people who will visit our blogs day in and day out to see if we have posted.

    A journalist will be lucky if people read more than the first few lines of their story but with blogs, you are likely to read nearly every single word if you like them enough.

    Journalism is like drive-by writing. Grab, impress, move on. Blogging is about so much more. I don't think there is much point in comparing the two, no, but then it is obvious that I don't have much respect for journalists. Any two people who can tell the same story but present completely different truths are not trustworthy in my view. I'd rather read a political/news/entertainment/travel blog any day. Plus, I prefer writers who aren't paid by such rich media magnate for their point of view.

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  8. Martin & Galia, I wish you a happy and lucky 2010 :)
    The "blogosphere" (I hope that this word really exists in English :)) is a "must have" here in Roumania.
    Our "written", "classical" newspapers and our TV stations are in a nasty situation. Most of them were bought between 2004 and 2008 by 3 "rogue" businessmen having as final goal to make the "democrat liberal party" and the president Traian Basescu to lose the 2009 elections. Under those circumstances only bloggers could freely express themselves. Many bloggers are well known journalists, who preferred to be independent and make less money instead of publishing lies in a newspaper for a fat salary. Thanks to the Internet phenomenon and to those honest bloggers, it is considerably more difficult to manipulate people nowadays.
    In December last year the "democrat liberal party" won the elections again. The investments made to sustain the newspapers did not pay off, and, consequently, 4 of them went bankrupt since January 1st. The main news TV channel ("Realitatea TV") will soon follow.
    I still rely on blogs both for news and for quality comments and opinions.
    Please ask your friend if he knows anything about "Huffington Post", or "Drudge Report". Help him a little bit with learning English, so that he can enjoy your blogs. Tell him what happened in Roumania - I'm sure that this can happen in Bulgaria, too...If he is afraid of competition, tell him that in a free world there is a place for everyone.

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  9. Martin In Bulgaria7 January 2010 at 21:45

    Hi Emm,
    I must say I met a handful of Journalist by profession and they all are not my cup of tea. They have their head too far up their a*** for my liking and are akin to thinking they are Gods. Bloggers on the other hand are the salt of the earth. We agree with the differences it seems.
    Take care and don't work too hard.

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  10. Martin In Bulgaria7 January 2010 at 21:49

    Hi Diana,
    Your comment is enlightening.
    I don't think I will meet this guy again, I think he will avoid me and I certainly haven't the time to entertain him with English lessons He is stuck in his way an that's it. Your Romania accounts I don't think is as extreme here, most don't believe what they read here anyway, me included. Blog articles are more reliable in a way I have to agree.
    I hope others read you comment and take note on what is happening in you neck pf the woods.
    Regards
    Martin

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