Journalistic code

Sepi – I agree. Journos work for their papers, TV stations, whatever. Only a dope would think otherwise. The trouble is some dopes apparently do, and some journos contribute to that misleading impression. We’re not all sophisticated and critical consumers of media.

Taking advantage of stupidity or naivete is a Bad Thing when it’s done by priests, used car salesmen, politicians, financial advisors etc. And it’s equally bad when it’s done by journos.

There should be a constant tension between the journalists who acquire information and the media on one hand and those who hold the information in the first place on the other. (Someone should write a book on the war stories it generates). Regulating this borderline would be close to impossible, so it is hardly surprising that “no comment and get off my property” is a perfectly acceptable response for those approached by journos. So is engaging a PR flack or lawyer to filter the message the journo gets. The media itself, by becoming an uncritical lackey of various commercial and political interests, has destroyed any claim it may have had to representing some kind of public interest. I assume it is almost all disguised advertising of one kind or another, and spend my time just trying to work out out who put it into play.

I’ve been thinking more about this. There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of a journalist’s position.

If you put out a press release, or ask a journalist to come and interview you, you are basically pointing out a subject topic to them, inviteing them to write about it, putting your point forward, and Hoping they see your point and include it in the article.

The journalist’s job is to write up something about that subject, make it interesting, a good read, and easy to understand for the mass market.

Just because you spoke to them, or sent out your press release, does not guarantee that they will write exactly what you wish. To get exactly what you want you need to buy advertising space.

A lot of this bile about journalists seems to have come from a misunderstanding of the journalist’s role. At the end of the day the journalist works for the newspaper, not for the person they are interviewing.

Since when did people suddenly expect to confide in journalists and not have the info printed.

Writing stuff up for publication is a journalist’s job. If you want to be anonymous then send a letter or something.

Good call, VicePope. No doubt there are dodgy reporters out there. Remember though, there have been many drunken nights in brothels, many jilted mistresses which have yielded more power and revealed more information than a reporter ever could.

Fhakk
I would never say that all journos commit all the “sins” I mentioned but, as you would agree, some do. I would say that the incidents of professionalism to which you refer would apply equally to practically any employed person. Anyone from a garbo up is expected to do his or her job competently, be there on time and avoid illegality.

Not every dog bites, but it is often prudent to take a cautious attitude in case one rattles a particular dog’s cage in some way. So it is with journos. One of the bitten (and bitter) colleagues, many years ago now, opined that, if one had a burning urge to share a secret and could not find a colleague, life partner, clergyman or friend, it would be better to engage a harlot in Fyshwick than to speak with a journalist. The harlot, he opined, would be unlikely to be interested in what one said, unlikely to remember it, probably less likely to gossip than a journo and probably be more hygienic.

Yo Fhakk-Dogg, you’re spot on. Whether or not it’s a “profession” is semantics. Journalists work hard for generally crap wages and, in most cases, do a good job. Sure, there’s the odd bad apple, but a world without media would be a frightening one ideed.

expert service – it’s a difficult, demanding and high-stress job, and involves getting to work at 4am.
High level of discipline – we have to spell/pronounce words correctly, make sure facts/figures are correct otherwise readers/listeners kick up a stink.
Severe consequences – the law. We can go to jail if we make a mistake. We get sued/fired/arrested just like any other professional in a position of power.
If people hate us so much, why does everyone continue to read the newspapers, listen to the radio, go online? I’m not a reporter any more for personal reasons, but I can tell you its lazy just ostracizing journalists without knowing what crap they have to go through every day. The majority of journalists are sensible and hard working, and have to deal with the courts/police/egotistic politicians/PR hacks/loonies on a daily basis.
Making sweeping generalisations doesn’t help, either.

ps – I have never been burned personally, but I have seen it happen to colleagues in the past and would not wish ever again to see someone’s career and life destroyed in the same way for so little. The price of my attitude has been to be yelled at and abused a few times – no big. I’ve been ranted at by idiots before.

I should have added point nine:
The journalist’s interest in you or your predicament ends when the story is published. He or she is not your friend and will not argue your case or protect or defend you. If the journo gets a better offer from the other side of your case (eg continued privileged access to briefings as opposed to being cut off the drip), assume that he or she will happily and uncritically run that side.

No no, Sepi, you’ve got me all wrong. I’m saying that journalism is not a profession in the sense that medicine or law is a profession. There are no required qualifications and no governing body. You couldn’t be a lawyer with a journalism degree, but you could be a journalist with a law degree.

Sepi/Fhakk
What would stop me, an idler and dilettante, from describing myself as a journalist? Nothing. What stops a considerable number of sports people who have columns written for them? Nothing.

Contrast any real profession, that requires the provision of an expert service subject to a high level of discipline performed by a person with a specified qualification and with severe consequences attached to wrongfully holding oneself out to be a member of the profession. It’s not the same.

A professional ultimately has personal responsibility for his or her professional conduct. A journo hides behind whoever publishes his or her stuff. They’re employees.

As to the possession of a degree in journalism, that would not make a person a journalist or a professional any more than acquiring a law degree makes a person a lawyer. As I understand it, there are vastly more people doing journalism degrees than are ever likely to be employed as journalists or in any related field. Owning the piece of paper maketh not the professional.