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SO, WHAT IS A JOURNALIST?

      Let’s be honest.  The field of newsgathering has changed with the addition of electronic toys such as Smartphones and Selfie Sticks.  This does NOT mean that newsgathering has gotten any better—it just means that there are more girls and boys with electronic toys, but little in the way of ‘upstairs smarts’ to be a good reporter or 'journalist.'

      ‘Journalist’.  REAL reporters hate the term.  I should know.  I was a REAL reporter for quite a few years before I got promoted to column writing—and that promotion came because of publications where you read my work gave me a shot.  Of course, the rest is history.  ‘Journalists’ have Journalism degrees (or J-degrees as we now call them) but do NOT have background or depth of experience to get to know a coverage area long enough—before they are putting in their ‘clips’ to go work with the ‘big boys’ in Chicago, LA, New York or—that granddaddy of them all—Washington, DC.

      Back in the day, Journalism was a trade—not a profession.  ‘New’ reporters, fresh out of college were not thought of that highly by the newspapers, magazines, radio and television news departments they sought to become employed by.  Newspaper ‘rookies’ started out working nights in the ‘cop shop’ chasing squad cars and ambulances for a few years.  TV station news rookies got to go out with the veteran reporters and camerapeople to hold microphones and do background research.  In radio, news rookies worked their way up, starting on the night desk as ‘re-write men (and women)’.  THEY made the coffee, kept the paper changed on the ‘old’ wire machines, and ran tape down to the air studio where the anchors read the news.

      Woodward and Bernstein—two white reporters--changed that when they ‘broke’ the story of the Watergate coverup. This was considered ‘good’ journalism.  At the same paper, a few years later, a Black reporter by the name of Janet Cooke won a Pulitzer Prize for articles that she ‘made up’.  Of course, the prize was returned.  This was considered ‘bad’ journalism.

      One other fun factoid.  One could NOT host a Talk Show on radio or television unless they had a minimum of five years experience.  Also, the Society of Professional Journalists has some ‘Ethics’ that guide the journalists of today.  However, as an old ‘street pounder’ from the typewriter and wire machine days, their ‘Ethics’ are laughable.

      What about the field of Journalism today?  Well, it’s fallen on hard times.  News today is based upon what journalists ‘feel’ rather than the truth. There are two camps—liberal and conservative.  Back in the day, they used to both be balanced.  No longer.  They mainly ‘cater’ to their ownership—NOT to the public. Many Black and Hispanic newspapers where early Black and Hispanic reporters got to get their early experience are taking some of their content from ‘storytellers’ paid for by grants from a variety of liberal sources, designed to give you ‘their’ version of the news—not the news that is out there—for a price.  That price being extra writing hands and stories written by people who may not even LIVE in the city where they are reporting.  Let us NOT forget about AI.  Ten years ago, news stories were being written by computer--without much in the way of human involvement.  NOW, thanks to AI, computer-generated TV and radio stories are rapidly becoming the norm.

      Of course, the money is still not as good as it could be, since many news departments and newspapers have gone the way of the manual typewriter.  However, the ‘bright light’ is the online community, where brave men and women still put out great publications and have a host of great writers contributing to their efforts.  THESE are the places where new writers—especially Black men and women—can get their writing feet wet, collect their clips, and move on to radio, television or print.

      I’d rather be a reporter than a journalist any day.  Reporters are curious and are self-starters.  They go after the truth in a story rather than a ‘political angle’ (unless they are political writers).  A REAL reporter READS, has a firm grasp of local, state and national history and brings this to EACH story they produce.  Journalists—those in the news business today—spend too much time making THEMSELVES the story rather than letting the story speak for itself.  Of course, those in the electronic journalism craft spend more time on their looks, rather than on building sources and knowing their way around.

      One other thing.  The MORE in the way of ‘support staff’ in putting a story together, the FARTHER away from the story the ‘Journalist’ happens to be.  A radio reporter is responsible for gathering, writing, and submitting the story to an anchor—thus, they have the LEAST front office interference between them and the story.  Television reporters must rely on camerapeople, producers, assistant producers, desk editors, and production assistants, along with editors and assistant editors before their video story gets on the air.  Newspaper ‘journalists’ still must send their story through a variety of editors, assistant editors, copy editors and—if photos are involved—the photography department.  Weekly newspapers have staff writers who also copy edit, serve as section editors, and ‘head out in the field’ for story assignments.

      What is journalism? Journalism is—and has always been—a trade, not a profession, no matter how many people in the trade want to paint it.  Sure, they paint it as something romantic—but that’s to cover up the drudgery involved.  But, IF you are good at the trade, your readership will appreciate your efforts.  Especially when you break the ‘big story’ that helps our people and the community at large.  If Jesus leads you into the journalism field, thank God for your calling—and make it honorable with every story you write.  With every story you are building a written record of a people and a society, as the Lord leads.

      What is a journalist?  To us ‘gray heads’, it is a person who is a reporter with a fancy name.  It is far better to be truthful, accurate and honest rather than being fancy.  The KJV Bible tells us that we should NOT think more highly of ourselves than we are.  In short, a journalist may have a fancy title to their ‘profession’, but when the lights are low, and they must ‘come down’ to work with the rest of us AFTER the job cuts come, it’s a calling and a trade.  To those who are interested in this field, be content with this and strive to help—not to hurt—with your talents.

      Mike Ramey is a Retired Minister, KJV Bible Teacher, syndicated columnist and Bible Prophecy Specialist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.  “The Quick Scan” is one of a variety of his columns appearing and abounding in print and cyberspace, written from a biblical, business, and common-sense perspective since 1996.  To drop him a line—or a whine—the address is still the same: mgmikeramey@yahoo.com.  ©2024 Barnstorm Communications International.