Week 5, Discussion #12, Jacqui Warner

As technology has been growing and changing, media and news has been changing as well, bringing forth blogs, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and so on.  We now have, as a community, completely new ways to find information and new opportunities to share our own ideas and information.  But because of all this new media and new information sharing, the line between audience and journalist is melding together and what/who exactly a "journalist" is disappearing.  Dan Gillmor asks us what our definition of a "journalist" is and how exactly we can identify someone as one.  As we look to discussion on Tuesday I ask that you keep these questions in mind:

1. Gillmor discusses the baggage the word "journalist" carries in our society, do you feel the title of "journalist" holds certain connotations, negative and/or positive? If so what and why?

2.  It is easy to look at the New York Times and see journalism, but when we are presented with the immensity of the internet, determining what is journalism and what is not can be difficult.  How do you determine something as journalism versus entertainment or fluff?

3. Through the Free Flow of Information Act, the Senate protects the following in regards to journalism:

"[those who have had an] employment relationship with a journalism organization for one year within the past 20 years, or for three months within the past five years.  Or have had a 'substantial track record of free lancing' or a student journalist" -- (USA Today)

Do you feel all needed "journalists" are protected in the Act or do you feel there should be protection for other groups or persons?

4. Do you think it should lie in the Federal Government's hands to determine who is or is not a journalist?

5. Gillmor discusses the idea of creating a new name for "modern media creators" in our society.  Do you think this is necessary? Why or Why not?