How to tell a Journalist from a Blogger Review

First off, I really enjoy the emotion from the author about the selfish demeanor from many bloggers. He is irate about those "journalists" who are only in it for the fame - or short-term gain - to grab attention.

He is so run off that he is embarrassed for his entire profession. Wow.

Throughout the bullet points, the first one had an interesting statement about the difference between a writer and a journalist. I also liked how he talked about how "attached" we get with our writing and how hard we can take editors. For me, that did make me take a different look on what I write and that I shouldn't be obsessed with every word.

Furthermore, a blogger is "not accustomed to being under the scrutiny of a professional editor." Also how trying to steer away from opinion-based news stories as well as loving the truth.

This guy obviously cares plenty enough to pull his deepest thoughts about journalism and put it right in the arms of the very people he's calling out. To me, that speaks volumes of this person's dedication.

Reading Assignment 2

Blog

Mike Klassen made some strong points in his article about blogs becoming the new journalism. Walking through his piece more than once, I took notice of a couple changes that the new online media world will showcase in the years ahead.

The first was talking about the "sleepless nights for ink suppliers." Obviously, when it's online, those are the men that can fluff their pillows before taking a break. This did bring up another behind-the-scenes side of the change for me, as there are so many people - with many positions - being affected by this whole new era.

The second part I thought of was when Klassen talked about the building of portfolios for the writers online. It's something I see often with younger writers looking for exposure. They especially head to Twitter and Facebook to share their articles, give updates on news hoping to be among the first to "break it" as well as posting pictures of video of the hot topics. This grabbed my attention since I have a YouTube channel devoted to my one-on-one interviews and racing videos. Though I don't often post on social media, I see it all the time.

Overall, the best point I found was when Klassen said "wisdom and experience of the elders will not be passed down to the newcomers." In a way, I agree as it could be argued that it is the other way around - teaching the "old farts" how to work the Tweeting device.

But I do believe the actual work of writing is still at the forefront of being a journalist. Advice from somebody who has been around the business for years or decades can absolutely be a help. Also throw in the work of conducting interviews and handling yourself professionally into what you can learn from your experienced elders.