They don’t do original reporting.
They don’t check facts, are loose with the truth and traffic in rumor.
They have agendas.
They just want attention.
They’re not careful.
They are not professionals.
They sensationalize.
There are too many of them.
They cannot be trusted.
This is how the majority of professional print and broadcast journalists describe “citizen journalist” bloggers. But today, this is also how the Columbia Journalism Review and others are describing many of their mainstream media brethren.
These kinds of statements are born of ignorance, of fear and I suspect not a little bit of envy. So I hope that after today, the aforementioned mainstream media majority listens to its peers. I hope reporters reevaluate and reassess their roles in society and responsibilities to the truth. I hope they will know the difference between journalism and sensationalism – and that they pick the right side.
And I hope – I pray – that someday JonBenet Ramsey will be allowed to rest in peace.
Gary Goldhammer -- Strategic storytelling for brands, organizations and executives 