4 ms·

A journalist's job is to journal something, nothing more and nothing less. If a purported journalist wants to influence or otherwise lead his audience somewher

A journalist's job is to journal something, nothing more and nothing less. If a purported journalist wants to influence or otherwise lead his audience somewhere, he is many things (commentator, advocate, activist, influencer, etc.) but he is not a journalist.

ignoramous 2y ago
> If a purported journalist wants to influence ... he is not a journalist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advocacy_journalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advocacy_journalism
- blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
  That seems to just describe activism, not journalism. What makes it journalism to you - the association with a company that punishes a newspaper?
  - janalsncm 2y ago
    That’s a pretty low bar for “activism” in my mind. Activism is more about organizing people, organizing events, coordinating action, raising money, protesting, etc. although good journalism enables activism. The entire point of journalism is holding powerful people/groups accountable. This is why countries like China hate journalists. Big companies like “journalists” who don’t ask tough questions. But the job of journalism isn’t just to reprint a press release with slightly different phrasing.
maxerickson 2y ago
Declaring your misunderstanding doesn't make it so. "Engineers make implements of war" or so.
- Dalewyn 2y ago
  An engineer is someone who develops and implements engines. What is an engine? Citing Merriam Webster[1]: >3a: something used to effect a purpose So yes, an engineer can make implements of war among many other implements. The people who actually wage war are called other things. [1]: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engine https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engine
  - maxerickson 2y ago
    [flagged]
- jdgoesmarching 2y ago
  It’s very strange how many people here have confidently incorrect ideas about what journalism purports to be or do.
sleepybrett 2y ago
These are not journalists, these are the OPINION EDITORS. You know, the op-ed page, the page that contains NO journalism. It has been a long tradition for the OPINION EDITORS of newspapers to endorse one or more positions of various political races, especially the presidential race.
- Dalewyn 2y ago
  This is regarding endorsements by the outlet as a whole. If someone wants to go out and publicly endorse a candidate on their own name, nobody's stopping them. What Bezos did is say, no, you cannot and will never again slap the Washington Post's name onto your personal endorsement. I think that's fair, he owns the brand, and I think it's also good for journalism overall because it's not a journalist's job to push opinions.
  - johnnyanmac 2y ago
    Given general hypocrisy, I expect an R endorsement come 2028. When the "swamp" is cleared and Bezo's Ai can write his opinions ghosting as a "journalist" with a respected brand.
    - Dalewyn 2y ago
      If Bezos goes back on his word and lets or orders the Washington Post endorse a candidate in future elections? Yeah, weapons free to torch his ass.
      - sleepybrett 2y ago
        I'll take my apology now.
  - favorited 2y ago
    > This is regarding endorsements by the outlet as a whole Endorsements are written and attributed to the Editorial Board, not the entire outlet. Examples: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/18/opinion/kamala-harris-endorsement-democrat/ https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/18/opinion/kamala-harris... https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/opinion/editorials/kamala-harris-2024.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/opinion/editorials/kamala... https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/a/endorsement-president-kamala-harris-democracy-20241025.html https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/a/endorsement-pr...
johnnyanmac 2y ago
Devil's advocate: you can be more than one thing at once. And newspapers never promised to only be for journalism.
vr46 2y ago
This is a completely wrong and perhaps deliberately misleading impression of journalism and journalists. Healthy journalism absolutely provides critical analysis.
- skellington 2y ago
  lol....a key tenet of journalism is objective reporting: Objective Reporting: Journalism aims to report events truthfully, objectively, and fairly, without bias. This involves verifying facts, seeking multiple perspectives, and presenting information clearly. Activist-journalism is an oxymoron. There are very few journalists anymore.
  - adriand 2y ago
    [flagged]
  - maxerickson 2y ago
    Is it activism to report on a rape survivors group and not an ice cream social? Are there a clear bright line tests for things like "objective" and "bias" and "fair"?
  - vr46 2y ago
    You can find countless lists describing principles and tenets of journalism that differ from each other. Accuracy, verification, impartiality, yes, but seeking the truth upsets people, and the usual attack on that is to claim bias, prejudice, activism and “fake news” on the part of the journalist/organization
adriand 2y ago
Journalism and a robust news media are a critical part of democracy. We can’t have a functioning democracy without them, just like we also need an independent judiciary, independent educational institutions and so on. As such, journalists are on the “side” of democracy. It is no accident that fascists and authoritarians attack the news media. They have to in order to gain and keep power. The correct posture, therefore, of the free press when a charismatic authoritarian is on the cusp of power is opposition. So-called “neutrality” is not just foolish, it betrays their entire reason for being!

ignoramous 2y ago

> If a purported journalist wants to influence ... he is not a journalist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advocacy_journalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advocacy_journalism

blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
That seems to just describe activism, not journalism. What makes it journalism to you - the association with a company that punishes a newspaper?
- janalsncm 2y ago
  That’s a pretty low bar for “activism” in my mind. Activism is more about organizing people, organizing events, coordinating action, raising money, protesting, etc. although good journalism enables activism. The entire point of journalism is holding powerful people/groups accountable. This is why countries like China hate journalists. Big companies like “journalists” who don’t ask tough questions. But the job of journalism isn’t just to reprint a press release with slightly different phrasing.

maxerickson 2y ago

Declaring your misunderstanding doesn't make it so. "Engineers make implements of war" or so.

Dalewyn 2y ago
An engineer is someone who develops and implements engines. What is an engine? Citing Merriam Webster[1]: >3a: something used to effect a purpose So yes, an engineer can make implements of war among many other implements. The people who actually wage war are called other things. [1]: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engine https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engine
- maxerickson 2y ago
  [flagged]
jdgoesmarching 2y ago
It’s very strange how many people here have confidently incorrect ideas about what journalism purports to be or do.

sleepybrett 2y ago

These are not journalists, these are the OPINION EDITORS. You know, the op-ed page, the page that contains NO journalism. It has been a long tradition for the OPINION EDITORS of newspapers to endorse one or more positions of various political races, especially the presidential race.

Dalewyn 2y ago
This is regarding endorsements by the outlet as a whole. If someone wants to go out and publicly endorse a candidate on their own name, nobody's stopping them. What Bezos did is say, no, you cannot and will never again slap the Washington Post's name onto your personal endorsement. I think that's fair, he owns the brand, and I think it's also good for journalism overall because it's not a journalist's job to push opinions.
- johnnyanmac 2y ago
  Given general hypocrisy, I expect an R endorsement come 2028. When the "swamp" is cleared and Bezo's Ai can write his opinions ghosting as a "journalist" with a respected brand.
  - Dalewyn 2y ago
    If Bezos goes back on his word and lets or orders the Washington Post endorse a candidate in future elections? Yeah, weapons free to torch his ass.
    - sleepybrett 2y ago
      I'll take my apology now.
- favorited 2y ago
  > This is regarding endorsements by the outlet as a whole Endorsements are written and attributed to the Editorial Board, not the entire outlet. Examples: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/18/opinion/kamala-harris-endorsement-democrat/ https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/18/opinion/kamala-harris... https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/opinion/editorials/kamala-harris-2024.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/opinion/editorials/kamala... https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/a/endorsement-president-kamala-harris-democracy-20241025.html https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/a/endorsement-pr...

johnnyanmac 2y ago

Devil's advocate: you can be more than one thing at once. And newspapers never promised to only be for journalism.

vr46 2y ago

This is a completely wrong and perhaps deliberately misleading impression of journalism and journalists. Healthy journalism absolutely provides critical analysis.

skellington 2y ago
lol....a key tenet of journalism is objective reporting: Objective Reporting: Journalism aims to report events truthfully, objectively, and fairly, without bias. This involves verifying facts, seeking multiple perspectives, and presenting information clearly. Activist-journalism is an oxymoron. There are very few journalists anymore.
- adriand 2y ago
  [flagged]
- maxerickson 2y ago
  Is it activism to report on a rape survivors group and not an ice cream social? Are there a clear bright line tests for things like "objective" and "bias" and "fair"?
- vr46 2y ago
  You can find countless lists describing principles and tenets of journalism that differ from each other. Accuracy, verification, impartiality, yes, but seeking the truth upsets people, and the usual attack on that is to claim bias, prejudice, activism and “fake news” on the part of the journalist/organization

adriand 2y ago

Journalism and a robust news media are a critical part of democracy. We can’t have a functioning democracy without them, just like we also need an independent judiciary, independent educational institutions and so on. As such, journalists are on the “side” of democracy. It is no accident that fascists and authoritarians attack the news media. They have to in order to gain and keep power. The correct posture, therefore, of the free press when a charismatic authoritarian is on the cusp of power is opposition. So-called “neutrality” is not just foolish, it betrays their entire reason for being!