Director's Notes: New Journalists

• Who is a Journalist? What is Journalism?: The answer to this digital age question remains cloudy. What do you think? Traditionalists are convinced that journalism is a profession, an admirable one at that. A journalist is something you are and journalism is a way to make a living. However, the proliferation of web sites, blogs and news outlets fed by citizens, has turned journalism into something you do. Anybody can do it, and most people have. The photography business already have gone through this rigmarole. While there are still some gifted photographers who earn a living from their skills and marketing abilities, technological advances have made it convenient and cost-effective for anybody to snap away. What makes a casual photographer a camera buff? When does a buff become a serious lensman?
• According to a new study released by PR Week and PR Newswire, 52 percent of bloggers consider themselves journalists. Last year, only one in three bloggers held that opinion. Meanwhile, TechCrunch reports that only 20 percent of bloggers obtain the majority of their incomes from their blogs. In addition, less than 40 percent of print magazine and newspaper journalists surveyed use blogs or social networks for research purposes.

• Gotham Confronts the Dilemma: New York City is proposing new rules for issuing press passes to members of the media, including bloggers. The credentialing system would reflect changes to the media industry and, for the first time, expressly incorporate online-only media. "This is a press credentialing system for the online age that can serve as a model for governments around the country," said Administrative Law Division Chief Gabriel Taussig. "The rules were drafted in a collaborative process with input from numerous interested participants, together with extensive research and a public listening session with members from all segments of the media." The link will fill you in on the details.

• Quote of the Week: "Journalism allows its readers to witness history; fiction gives its readers an opportunity to live it." -John Hersey