Citizen journalists, reporters, photographers, and online opinion writers unite: Former NBC correspondent has written an in-depth article about how blogging and internet reporters are bad for the health of real reporters.. David Hazinski writes, "reliable information that the traditional media don't provide. While it has its place, the reality is it really isn't journalism at all, and it opens up information flow to the strong probability of fraud and abuse. The news industry should find some way to monitor and regulate this new trend." Perhaps the real reporters should be monitored.. In the land before the net, it was tough to get news. They chose it for you. They picked and combed through what they felt was important. Now with access to news wires around the world you can see what happens oceans away in the click of a mouse.. With hurricane and storm dedicated weather sites you can watch live radar.. You can watch earthquake seismic graphs live when quakes occur. You can see streaming live footage of events, towns, cities.. you can watch your favorite or most infamous presidential candidates talk and walk with You Tube. And what is so wrong with this? Mr. Hazinksi goes on to say,
"• They should clarify and reinforce their own standards and work through trade organizations to enforce national standards so they have real meaning. • Journalism schools such as mine at the University of Georgia should create mini-courses to certify citizen journalists in proper ethics and procedures, much as volunteer teachers, paramedics and sheriff's auxiliaries are trained and certified. In this lone blogger's humble opinion, Mr. Hazinski should be honored. Real bloggers that don't just report rumors actually check their facts in the same tradition that "real" reporters do--err.. once did. (Remember, there are also websites out there soley dedicated to finding when real reporters make errors.) Many bloggers or "citizen reporters" troll the AP news wire, the Reuters Photo wire, CNN's political ticker, the Drudge Report, Huffington Post, the UK NEWSNOW live news site.. They're not just pulling facts from the air and putting it on blogs for all to see--though I am sure more than few do that. But there are also a few, and hopefully not more than a few, reporters that get their facts wrong. Jayson Blair from the New York TIMES could let us in on a few secrets.. The internet brings out one characteristic in reporting that some reporters say should not happen: Opinion laced news accounts. But then again, if you really read the real newspapers and magazine of the 20th century, you will find they lace their articles with more highbrowed opinions. Their opinions are better, most likely because their paid-for-degree was enough to tell them how to gather the facts first and then flush their articles with hidden opinions. Maybe in the end, the think that Mr. Hazinki most overlooks is the 21st century marriage of journalism and entertainment. Paris Hilton.. oh my. Britney Spears.. and her kids. Oh boy. The advertising.. drug company sponsorship of major news programs .. Those boardrooms have some interesting meetings. While there are some blogs and citizen sites paid for by advertising revenue, the vast majority of all that post their notes online are not getting rich by their actions.. The Schmuckraker blog dropped the dotcom over a year ago because it was getting too expensive without advertising dollars to keep a site going. But the Blogger.com help led to a cheaper and faster way of reporting. I just don't think I own my stuff anymore.. right? But hey, you can take your words with you when you're gone I guess. So back to Mr. Hazinki: He concludes, "on freedom of the press and journalism shouldn't be regulated. But we have already seen the line between news and entertainment blur enough to destroy significant credibility. Continuing to do nothing as information flow changes will further erode it. Journalism organizations who choose to do nothing may soon find the line between professional and citizen journalism gone as well as the trust of their audiences." The line between professional and citizen journalist .. gone. Perhaps that's fine. I'd rather see the line between entertainment and news stop being blurred. I'd rather see a news show without sponsorship of a major global company .. I'd rather see journalists not worried more about their hair than they are about the words a politician is spewing. When I first started to really care about world events, read TIME magazine, and become a CNN junkie, I was about 12 or 13. And it always bothered me that when a major news story happened, life then seemed to go on. Few sources were around to get background info on what was happening at that moment. The net has given way to anyone to possess the ability to report from where they want to, how they want to, and what they want to. From do-it-yourself sex sites to blogging by iPhones.. it's America in 2007. It's the modern evolution of journalism.. and how people get their news. It's time to get used to it. Remember, Mr. Hazinski, those news wires are still flowing. It's the information age. With that comes challenges .. and information overloads. But it's better than information blackouts.

Labels: New Media