A PDF download of the complete CJR “The Bigger Tent” story can be purchased from CJR by clicking here:
In the late 1990s, the staff at the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York took note of an exciting new trend in China. With traditional Chinese media under tight state censorship, people with something critical to say about their government had seized on the Internet as a new platform to publish their views. Their actions were not unlike the samizdat dissidents of the Soviet era or the poster-makers of Beijing University during the 1989 student uprising. But now, with the Internet, Chinese writers had the potential to reach a global audience.
In 1999, China arrested six people on charges of using the Internet to spread “anti-government” or “subversive” messages. I was the executive director of CPJ at the time, and we had to decide whether to take up their cases. None was a journalist in any traditional sense; reporting wasn’t their daily job and they didn’t write for established news organizations. But they were, we reasoned, acting journalistically. They disseminated news, information, and opinion. We took up the cases.
In the years since, CPJ has defended writers in Cuba, Iran, Malaysia, and elsewhere—some traditional journalists, some not—who used the Internet to get around official censorship. In CPJ’s view, these were entrepreneurial spirits using technology to battle enemies of press freedom. The many American journalists who supported CPJ’s global work readily agreed.
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Very important ideas for the Braziliana context: in this moment Journalism's professional regulations is under que Supreme Court avaliation.
Posted by LUIZ MARTINS DA SILVA on Fri 19 Sep 2008 at 01:21 PM
The concept of standards for journalism can and should cut both ways. Most bloggers would not stoop so low as to emulate the choices routinely exhibited by the so-called "Fox News" network. The Bush administration gave a White House press pass to Jeff Gannon, a.k.a. Jim Guckert, supposedly for "Talon News Service", but actually for a gay hooker to enter the White House routinely. Are the mainstream media investigating all the others in the White House press pool now, or have they chosen to ignore their supposed love of standards as long as the guy wears a suit and tie?
Posted by Bruce Martin on Sat 20 Sep 2008 at 01:11 AM
I think this has always been the question. If you look at the definition of journalism it's often circular: "journalism is information gathered by a journalist" or "journalism is content published in a journal."
yuck.
It has always been about defining what journalism IS and understanding how it's different from other content. Then we will know who a journalist is - by who produces that content.
The def. I always use.
Definition is the....
1. collection,
2. filtering and
3.distribution of...
accurate and honest information that has a meaning provided by the person who has done steps 1-3 above.
Posted by David Cohn on Sun 19 Oct 2008 at 09:04 PM
I'm happy this shift is becoming mainstream. Cf. March 2005:“Who is a journalist?” strikes me as a fairly useless question, and not just since the arrival of the Internet. It seems to me we should be asking “what is journalism?”
Journalists derive the title exclusively from the function of journalism — not how good they are at it, not what institution they represent, not what stories they cover — but the bare fact of what they do. Judith Miller and Matt Cooper of Time can’t claim any special place in American democracy from the word “journalist” appearing under their names on their business cards.
But the acts of gathering information, synthesizing, and disseminating that information publicly in an essentially verifiable report — those acts, when done in tandem, can and should receive special protections, no matter the context in which they are performed.
It’s journalism, not journalists, we should be struggling to protect. I think we sometimes lose that distinction (hat tip to Rebecca MacKinnon, who might agree with me). Whether bloggers constitute journalists is abstract and immaterial. What in newspapers and on blogs and on television constitutes journalism, now, that strikes me as a provocative question.
Posted by Matt on Mon 20 Oct 2008 at 12:48 PM
Of course bloggers were given access to the conventions--they were, and are, among their parties' biggest fundraisers.
Posted by Marla on Mon 27 Oct 2008 at 10:27 PM
just had to comment here, while I am not a member of NYPD press i to agree the system is messed up. I and a fellow photographer were visiting NYC for the Macys 4th of july for July 4th 2009, We called a branch known to very few called the DCPI, we were emailed the press release and told that our credentials were not valid NYPD credentials. We were also told where the media would be and that our credentials would be honored for this event as lo9ng as they had our photo and media outlet displayed on them. We were told be TWO people at "DCPI" that we would be ok. On the day of the event the police had "no clue" however after displaying our badges we were slowly let through to the front of the barricades, when we finally reached the front press block we ran into a gentleman (i use that term very loosely) by the name of "Hayes". This man was UNPROFESSIONALLY ARROGANT and rude towards us, he called our credentials "poorly made fakes" and continued to insult our intelligence. One of the reporters with me wanted to "slap him" and though he deserved it she held back her temper. The end result was to quote hayes " you tired, you came down here, you lost, your not getting in, exit the area up to 11th ave immediately, if you are caught here you will be cited for trespassing"
I tried to shake his hand but he brushed me off, its my guess the "DCPI" whoever they are does not look to carefully about who they employ, and as far as hayes he wasn't the smartest tack in the box either.
I don't know about NYC press, but they treat visiting press with disrespect and arrogance, don't get me wrong the NYPD were very polite, and the people on teh phone were also, but this "hayes" character was a power tripping loser that should not be in a place of authority. My office is filing a complaint with the city of new york, what happens with that will remain to be seen.
It is a sad day when a city has to deny legitimate journalists and members of the media access, or when we cant do our job because arrogant unintelligent employees take power trips on a daily basis. Research has indicated past events like this with this "hayes" character from press that were visiting from out of state.
Long story short we went to NJ and the police treated us very well over there and we got the footage we needed. Hope everyone had a happy 4th!
mental note: rick the NJ press had never heard of the "DCPI" and lots of NYPD didnt know of them either, this hayes guy treated us like common thugs, my assistant almost belted him, when we got to NJ the media had filled up the area, but the NJPD got us into a house overlooking manhattan and since the house was due to be razed (demolished) anyways but had power, a detective that had been in the area looked at our creds and lwet us up to the 4th floor with a beautiful bay window view of the river.
The nj press reporter who gave us a ride back to kennedy drive (to get a bus back to NYC) said that next time we should call MACYS and ask their pR depaqrtyment for VIP passdes, we MIGHT do that, i wont lie the show was stunning, however our reception makes me think twice about NYC altogether for awhile.just had to comment here, while I am not a member of NYPD press i to agree the system is messed up. I and a fellow photographer were visiting NYC for the Macys 4th of july for July 4th 2009, We called a branch known to very few called the DCPI, we were emailed the press release and told that our credentials were not valid NYPD credentials. We were also told where the media would be and that our credentials would be honored for this event as lo9ng as they had our photo and media outlet displayed on them. We were told be TWO people at "DCPI" that we would be ok. On the day of the event the police had "no clue" however after displaying our badges we were slowly let through to the front of the barricades, when we finally reached the front press block we ran into a gentleman (i use that term very loosely) by the name of "Hayes". This man was UNPROFESSIONALLY ARROGANT and rude towards us, he called our credentials "poorly made fakes" and continued to insult our intelligence. One of the reporters with me wanted to "slap him" and though he deserved it she held back her temper. The end result was to quote hayes " you tired, you came down here, you lost, your not getting in, exit the area up to 11th ave immediately, if you are caught here you will be cited for trespassing"
I tried to shake his hand but he brushed me off, its my guess the "DCPI" whoever they are does not look to carefully about who they employ, and as far as hayes he wasn't the smartest tack in the box either.
I don't know about NYC press, but they treat visiting press with disrespect and arrogance, don't get me wrong the NYPD were very polite, and the people on teh phone were also, but this "hayes" character was a power tripping loser that should not be in a place of authority. My office is filing a complaint with the city of new york, what happens with that will remain to be seen.
It is a sad day when a city has to deny legitimate journalists and members of the media access, or when we cant do our job because arrogant unintelligent employees take power trips on a daily basis. Research has indicated past events like this with this "hayes" character from press that were visiting from out of state.
Long story short we went to NJ and the police treated us very well over there and we got the footage we needed. Hope everyone had a happy 4th!
mental note: rick the NJ press had never heard of the "DCPI" and lots of NYPD didnt know of them either, this hayes guy treated us like common thugs, my assistant almost belted him, when we got to NJ the media had filled up the area, but the NJPD got us into a house overlooking manhattan and since the house was due to be razed (demolished) anyways but had power, a detective that had been in the area looked at our creds and lwet us up to the 4th floor with a beautiful bay window view of the river.
The nj press reporter who gave us a ride back to kennedy drive (to get a bus back to NYC) said that next time we should call MACYS and ask their pR depaqrtyment for VIP passdes, we MIGHT do that, i wont lie the show was stunning, however our reception makes me think twice about NYC altogether for awhile.
Posted by Jason on Mon 6 Jul 2009 at 04:56 PM