In my experience, the only time it is appropriate to refer to a reporter as a "journalist" is if they are either unemployed, or dead. Reporters report, writers

In my experience, the only time it is appropriate to refer to a reporter as a "journalist" is if they are either unemployed, or dead. Reporters report, writers write, where "journalists" occupy a kind of vague institutional gatekeeper profession that is (rightly) being usurped by people taking up the former trades using tech and social media. I have strong opinions about this. Writing press releases, ad copy or doing PR work is only offensive to a small cadre of journalists who try to cleanse themselves of the "taint of trade" as to somehow differentiate their role from people who are judged by the quality of their work, and not their approval by an institution, credentials, or perceived political legitimacy. A reporter is an artist taking risks in a trade with real public value. The modern journalist is a kind of official court jester, selectively using the cover of speech protection to carefully trade favors for "access." If as a society we want better reporting, reporters need money and autonomy. Viewed this way, the availability of gigs in PR to support the art, especially at the expense of the preciousness of journalism, is of net benefit to all.