As a scientist, I have an inherently uneasy relationship with journalism. Scientists often find themselves misinterpreted, overstated, and falsely balanced by journalists, which is upsetting. Granted, this is one side of the coin, and journalists certainly have legitimate gripes about scientists, but friction between the two camps got me wondering about comics “journalists” and the rest of the industry at large. Basically: is there such a thing as comic’s journalism?
How I looked in my own head while at conventions in 2009.
I have been a member of the comics press since 2009. I may not have been writing for iFanboy, but I was creating content online enough to get me into smaller conventions as ‘press.’ I didn’t think much about it at the time, I knew that the comics industry recognized some sort of legitimacy towards what I was doing, but mostly I just wanted a badge at shows that added a bit of extra access, and that was enough. Then in 2010 Ron (presumably after consulting with Conor and Josh) asked if I’d be willing to contribute to iFanboy as a staff writer. I accepted and subsequently noticed the shift in stature. It’s still not much, mind you, but at least now when I drop the name ‘iFanboy’ I get recognition instead of polite feigned interest in a site no one had heard of.
However, I still thought of myself as ‘press’, never as a ‘journalist.’ But the term ‘comic’s journalism’ still gets thrown around enough that I figured it was time to consider the difference. In my very limited research I have come up with what I think is a reasonable distinction. The press are people who present news to the public, whereas journalists are people who investigate and then report on stories. The key difference is the element of investigation. Investigation implies uncovering details not immediately apparent from what was already known about a story. This to me is where the term ‘comic’s journalism’ falls flat. Almost all of the ‘news’ from the comics world comes in the form of pre-fabricated press releases sent out by publishers. People with connections might get earlier access to this tidbit or that or a comment from someone involved in the announcement, but everything still happens with the permission of the publisher making the actual announcement. And frankly, this is fine. If anything, I think that journalism would be bad for comics.
The idea that journalism could be a bad thing is uncomfortable to a 1st amendment fan like myself. How could less information be a good thing? Well regardless of the importance of comics in each of our lives, they are entertainment. Scandals involving misappropriate of government funds, gross injustices home and abroad, or actual conspiracies perpetrated by any number of self-interested organizations deserve the investigative powers of an actual journalist. Comics? Not so much.
Pictured: Every movie secret for the next 5 years. You really want the key?
Think about what actual journalism might mean for comics. Suddenly people would be sneaking into offices to snap photos of memos detailing who wins between Red Hulk and Colossus in Avengers vs. X-Men #2. The problem is this information is only secret for now. It becomes public the moment the book hits the stands, so putting forth effort to spoil it before the fact just seems petty rather than noble. Furthermore, there are folks who might not buy and issue they already know the outcome of, so releasing details early could hurt the industry as a whole for no real reason other than some sort of perverted personal glory. We see this happen with movies all the time. People just have to know the tint of Heath Ledgers green hair, or the brand of cigarettes preferred by Jor-El. But does it really matter? Do any of us really appreciate the efforts of a lone photographer sneaking around the WB lot?
This presents another way in which comics are a bit odd. While I don’t know the inner workings of any other industry, I know for a fact that many of us in the comics ‘press’, such as it is, know things ahead of their public release. But because we all want the industry to flourish, the people who act like professionals abide by the guidelines of decency and decorum rather than blathering the second they know something to get a few extra internet hits. The comic’s press professionals that stay in the game for a long time, do so precisely because they think long term. Any jerk that goes out of their way to post about things they shouldn’t is essentially cut off from further information. I’ve seen it happen, it ain’t pretty.
It seems to me that every member of the comics press has friends who create comics. This means we know things. I know things. I’ve had entire arcs of comics explained over dinner a year before they came out. I’ve read issues no one will yet see for months. I’ve seen pages that the colorist of the book probably hasn’t seen yet. Why are these revelations not all over iFanboy? Because I don’t want to lose my friends. The comics industry is home to some of the nicest, most hardworking and creative people I know, why ruin a thing like that by acting like a journalist as opposed to a friend? As a friend who happens to be a member of the press, I can be told candidly about things with the explicit knowledge that I won’t post publicly about something until it’s news, i.e. when the person in question wants the information public. There are realms of this world where the secrets being kept deserve an expose, but to my mind comics just ain’t one of them.
What do you think iFanbase? Do you wish everyone on the staff posted morsels the moment we got them? Or are you thankful for the tact and discretion that in my opinion makes iFanboy one of the finest most decent comic’s communities available? Or do you know something about the subject enough to tell me I’m just way off base from the get go? Clearly my opinion is no secret, but I implore you to share yours.
Ryan Haupt knows things. Terrible things. Hear him talk about things in a terribly scientific way on the podcast Science… sort of.
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I don’t think journalism in comics would pertain only to information about yet to be released comics, so I don’t think journalism in comics would be a bad thing. I’d like to see someone investigate why Amy Reeder left Batwoman or how much comic creators earn and many other subjects that are probably more interesting and/or important.
good point. i also would like to see things like that investigated.
Why do fans need to know the gossip, and what people make? That’s not your business any more than anyone needs to know what you make.
@Josh Gossip is what we get. I’d like something more substantial than that.
Regarding salaries, I’m curious, because I think some creators may possibly be paid too much, leading to price increases or page count decreases. I don’t need to know how much individual creators earn, but the comic book industry, unlike many other storytelling industries, is secretive to a fault here, in my opinion.
some people might be interested in entering the comics field. when choosing my career one of the first questions i asked was “how much might i make starting out and how much could i make in the long run?” makes it easier to plan for the future, especially if you have a wife, kids and a mortgage in the equation. maybe someone’s interested in switching careers and want to know if it would be worth it for them and if they could afford it. i’m a chef and if someone wants to know whats good pay for where you’re at and what you’re doing, then by all means ask. it’s not like it’s a question of national security. the contents of my wallet do not define who i am as a person, so i have no shame in that respect.
as far as wanting to know why someone left a book, what’s wrong with that?
@ Josh: I’m a public employee, so my salary is easily accessed and on record. Athletes contracts are also disclosed, as are movie stars (entire movie budgets for that matter). As for whose business that stuff is: for mine, anybody who pays taxes in the community, for sports, any fan that supports that team and wants to know what their ticket dollars, souvenir prices, etc. are all going towards. For movie budgets, anybody who invests in those companies (or is considering as much) has a right to know (which is the same with most any corporation).
Still, a lot of it boils down to news vs entertainment. Regardless of whether people have a vested interest in the salaries of film stars, movie stars, comic writers, etc. there are lots of people interested in what those numbers are. If a site puts that up as “news” people will read it. Since people read it, does that make it news? That’s an ethical question, and one you’re obviously in the camp against. But as to why fans need to know the salaries, they don’t need to know. But they would know if they could, because it’s interesting.
this is where the lack of a professional organization for comic creators really hurts the industry and those who want to enter it. There are a number of professional groups for design/advertising/illustration that i know of and belong to that have published salary surveys, state of the industry information, business trends etc etc thats all very public and accessible to pros and students alike. It was how i’m able to create realistic expectations for my first few salary negotiations based on some of that info.
That being said, we as fans feel EXTREMELY entitled to know the intricate business details of every facet of the industry, and feel we have the right to pass judgement on business decisions thats are really none of our concern.
We’re customers, not collaborators or share holders.
BTW, I send money to iFanboy everything month as a member. If a member wrote you guys and asked “what are my dollars going to,” how much do you disclose? Is it less or more now that you’ve been purchased by graphic.ly?
i think i know what the subject will be for the next “whats wrong with you?” article.
from what i’ve seen,the best answer to that question is “a lot.”
Not that it really matters, but I don’t see why Josh all of a sudden seems to hate everything. I really used to love coming to this site and I guess my point is moot, because I’m here right now, but man, the attitude is really turning me off of reading the content on here. Also, the whole “Marvel’s The Avengers” thing is really annoying.
On this point though, I host a radio show in Stephenville, TX and we review comics. We have interviews pretty regularly with comics people and hardcore bands and I’m not the interviewer that’s going to grill someone about something. I just like to have a conversation and let them promote their stuff.
I could point you to dozens of things I’ve written recently about things I like.
And Marvel’s The Avengers is what they asked us to call it, and we think it’s hilarious.
I guess it’s not really my place to say what should or shouldn’t go on someone else’s website. You should come on the show sometime and talk comics or hardcore.
I’m also really glad that you guys think the Avengers thing is funny.
A couple of thoughts on the above comments …
It’s right that someone interested in working in the industry should be able to get a sense of what the various creative fields might pay. But wanting to know what the typical page rates are for a colourist is a very different thing than wanting to know what Laura Martin gets paid. And the first can be had, I have seen many professionals (writers, artists) talk about that. Reporting what a ballplayer or movie star or comic creator gets paid is gossip not journalism in most contexts.
Also, just because you buy a comic, rent a movie, attend a game or contribute to website does not mean you need to or are entitled to be privy to the financial workings of the companies selling those goods and services. Being a consumer of a good or service entitles you to that good or service, nothing more. I work at a printing company, just because someone buys a toner cartridge doesn’t mean they can expect to see our annual P&L.
Definitely thankful you guys can keep a secret.
Many times, in comics, I wish I didn’t know the information even when it became public knowledge. Sometimes you just want to be surprised and immersed.
Looking at it that way, spoiling plot points or press releases before the companies are ready seems even crazier. We don’t even want the information when they’re ready to give it to us, and you want me to see this shit before that? Craziness.
I feel like the people into that kinda thing aren’t really reading comics. Are you out there? Do you actually read the funnybooks or do you just want to be knowledgeable of them?
When it comes to defining comics journalism outside of simply relaying press releases, maybe creator and company relationships falls more under that term. The fans don’t always have access to much of that, unless the creators haphazardly get on twitter.
one of the reasons why this has become my go to comics site, is because the content is carefully curated and filtered, and spoilers are handled quite well. Other sites love to put spoilers in headlines and facebook feeds…you guys don’t…and you even moderate comments to keep this to a minimum….so thats why i come back. I can chose to stay away from stuff that i don’t want to find out about.
I think comics are a somewhat amazingly fan-driven industry and kind of always has been.
One gripe I have, in this age of decompressed storytelling, is the lack of reviews by the few “journalists” in comics for stories as a whole, rather than issues. But this is why I support the release of OGNs for such stories and hope that the industry’s distribution catches up to their own storytelling.
I’ve never considered any website to be comics journalism. There’s not much to report in the first place, as examples given by Haupt explain it. But what there is plenty of is gossip and the fanning of flames: ComicsAlliance and BleedingCool are particularly guilty of this.
iFanboy, I’ll give you guys credit here, so far what I read I’ve never seen at of that B.S. Its a good thing and not easily practiced.
i don’t think “journalist” is an accurate term for a lot of what happens in the comics press. I think pundit, commentator…even analyst is more accurate. In so many ways its closer to how Sports or political commentators are used on shows to cover things…former athletes..people with insider connections or just rabid fans of a particular thing who give expert opinion on a subject.
It seems that most in the comics press seem to be a fan first, and they bring their own tastes to the coverage, so its tough to be completely objective, which is what being a traditional journalist requites.
This is incredibly sad. How many times a month do we hear of comics creators getting screwed out of credit or money? How many times do we hear of creators in dire predicaments because companies forced bad contracts on them or even worse, refuse to honor the contracts they have signed in good faith? If you think not reporting these things is bad, or could lose you friends, well get out. Just go away because you are a sad selfish individual who should think about what has gone wrong in your life that seeing some comics pages early is better than doing what is right.
Who wins a fight in a comic is not “news”, if that’s what you think “news” is you’re not very good at your job. Real, true comics journalism needs to exist because it is one of the few things that can force this sorry industry into being better than it is. If you can’t get that, or understand that and think it is somehow a bad thing, you need to get bent.
This. A thousand times this. I’m so sick of seeing so-called ‘articles’ on guys like Alan Moore that just quote soundbites and say, ‘ there he goes again, getting pissed off for no reason’ when if you took the time to hear him out and do some actual research, you’d see that he’s right nine times out of ten. BleedingCool has been doing a series of pieces threatening to expose companies if they don’t pay their artists what they promised, and they actually helped three seperate artists get paid. That’s what comics journalism should be, not spoilers.
in all honesty im pretty sick of the regurgitated press releases that come out on a daily basis on every comic site (and yes, ifanboy is also guilty of this). But a while back, after posting a particularly snarky comment about Fantastic Four 600 i believe, Josh chimed in to say something akin to “if you don’t like these teasers, just stop clicking on them.” i took that advice to heart and now im more selective in what i view on comic sites. OP-eds seem to be the only thing that really gets me interested these days, and in a way that’s a form of journalism as, for the most part, it incorporates some form of analysis.
I truly wish there was more investigative journalism in this industry (for example, with a lot of the nasty creative shakeups at DC, there’s obviously a problem with editorial management at that company, i’d like to find out why – and no, not for gossip sake). But i will point out two shining examples of comic journalism that i’ve found. First off, Jimski’s in depth interviews with multiple comic pirates has always stood out in my mind. It seems every so often, he will come up with a brialliant idea that pans out into some of the best investigative comic journalism out there. I wish he’d do it more often- i hope you’ll take that as a challenge jimski 😉
David Brothers also had an amazing piece investigating marvel pirated comics which basically determined that Marvel was a leaky boat and he, along with David Uzimari (sp?) helped the company plug a pretty serious hole. that was an FANTASTIC piece that i highly recommend everyone check out (david’s site is 4thletter.net). He regularly has amazing stuff.
Also now that i think about it, Jason Wood was producing some truly amazing stuff on this site and while i can understand the difficultly of producing pieces like that on a weekly basis, i truly miss his work. i’d consider that investigative journalism as well
2nd the Jimski articles, and I honest to God hope someone in charge of Eisner’s saw that, because it deserves recognition. A complicated issue that typically just devolves to flame wars got some real coverage and discussion.
But I think there’s another side to the journalism issue as well, and that’s the role of gatekeepers. Investigating public figures is one thing, because they de facto agree to such scrutiny when they become public servants. Also, the details of their business are public record, so legally no one can deny you access. Now, you may lose access to certain individuals if you don’t “play the game”, but you can still do your job. Comics is a different ball game. A journalist has to be able to talk to people, which means those people have to want to talk to him or her. They aren’t going to want to talk if they feel they’re getting badgered about different issues, regardless of whether it’s valid. No access means no business. So on the one hand, the journalist has to be friends, or at least on speaking terms, with his or her subjects. On the other hand, as Philip Hoffman said in “Almost Famous”, you can’t be friends with the band members if you want to write objectively about them.
You are absolutely right, Jimski and Brothers pieces definitely qualify. Glad you pointed those out. Thanks!
I feel like you can take out the “Comics” in Comic Journalism, replace it with “Rock n Roll”, and the article will be just as valid.
Or “film.”
I just consider myself a reviewer and copy writer. There’s journalism to be had, of course. It just doesn’t interest me 90% of the time. More concerned with process than industry.
It appears that with the rise in popularity of comics reporting there are a large number of people are in it for the wrong reasons. Which is why this is such a good place for comics news. The guys here, and this includes you, respect boundaries that are set by a creator, they only get into what’s relevant to the work. What anyone makes or what they do on their free time is no one’s business, if a creator wishes to make it known, then so be it, but the guys here won’t breach a confidence just to get a “scoop” on the story first. The guys here are in this for the love of the craft and because they are friends who want to do this, they have a genuine and organic love for the craft, where a number of other outlets are pimping this hobby in order to raise their own profile in order to springboard it into another field. Or even worse they will be told something in confidence, then run around and reveal it but never put their names on it. That doesn’t happen here. There is no cowardice here. The guys post their opinions on things and report whats coming up all in a full yet professional manner, and the thing is without really intending to they have created a standard that more comics media people should aspire to. Comics news gathering and reporting can be accomplished without resorting TMZ garbage, and anyone who has been the subject of an interview appreciates that a certain discretion is offered when private things are revealed. When I was at Image Expo and was doing a piece with a creator there, he made a disparaging comment about another one and while he may have been “breakin the guys balls” and making a joke, I wasn’t certain so I left it out to be safe. There is no reason to start shit by revealing something that wasn’t pertinent to the interview and could be taken out of context. The high standard set here should be the rule and not the exception to it.
Let me first say that I find the coverage on iFanboy to be the most fair and balanced reporting I’ve ever found in the online world of comics news. I never get the sense that an agenda is being followed, or that you guys are trying to mislead your readers or influence their opinions. You guys generally seem to have no problem calling a turd a turd. A lot of other sites and personalities seem to be trying to influence readers/viewers to buy certain things from certain publishers. I never get a sense of that here.
Now, I like insider info, and advance info, but not to the point that it spoils things. This site is also pretty good about not spoiling things or running smear campaigns. Feel free to report more, but make it so that spoilers are avoidable (which you guys also do well). I don’t need regurgitated press releases that don’t have any added thought or content, though. You can still report on those and make it interesting if you know the subject matter.
RANT: I would submit that ENTERTAINMENT journalism, as a whole, is crap now. That means music, TV, movies, everything. It seems like everyone has an agenda to promote someone or something, or tear down someone or something. It is all so viral that it spreads without though of what the impact might be or even to have the facts verified. It all seems like a big money machine to promote whatever Kardashian is not getting enough attention this week and make them rich for doing nothing. Sorry to be jaded, but this is something to guard against. Luckily, I think iFanboy does a great job of this, or I wouldn’t be here.
I co-sign that rant kennyg!
I don’t think there’s a need to narrow it down to just entertainment. Journalism for pretty much everything is in terrible shape. If iFanboy went by 24-hour news network standards, the podcast would be nothing but the iFanboys reading people’s tweets and comments off the site.
no mention of Wonder Con anywhere
I think the actually journalism pieces iFanboy runs, especially things like talking to the pirates are fantastic. All the press releases and stuff I pretty much ignore, it’s just how the industry works, the biggest news stories are press releases from the major companies. The teasers are all the same. I don’t even look at solicits or issue blurbs if possible.
I just wish there was a magazine out there that did what the late lamented Wizard (of old) did. I, as a graphic journalist, would jump at the chance to be a/the designer for it.
I think the concept of “Comics Journalism” requires that we discuss the actions of some journalists. Although I enjoy reading iFanboy and other Comic blogs, I don’t consider any of you guys journalists. I don’t think any of you are certified journalists or members of a journalists’ organization. If you are, my apologies. I meant no offense. But my understanding is that you are bloggers. The hurdles to overcome in becoming a blogger are much easier than those of a college-trained journalist. You are fans who write on the subject of American comics. Lucky for you, you guys have found a way to be compensated for it. But most of what you write is your opinion on comics and not hard news. This is proven by the fact that your opinion pieces are almost always longer than your “news” pieces. You guys like writing whatYour opinions are based on the taste you’ve acquired over the years. Usually, your reviews are biased analysis based on your personal taste. Ron says he doesn’t like Batman or Superman, so no matter how good either character may be, I don’t think he would jump at doing a piece on those characters. I find it an industry-wide fact that iFanboy and other comic fan sites have a tendency to write articles on specific subjects in comics that the individual writers are interested in, not always what is news. This article is a perfect example of that fact. That, more than anything shows that there is no such thing as comic journalism.
It’s important to note that there is no such thing as a “certified journalist”. At least not in the US.
@Gary4362…It’s not entirely accurate to describe the big comics sites as just blogs. Anybody can start a comics blog but it doesn’t mean they automatically get acces to writers, artists and execs. That takes a certain amount of long term credibilty. I like the term “Enthusiast Press”. That’s a term that gets used a lot in the videogame community and they’ve had the same debate for years. It’s not journalism but it’s more than just blogging.
Also, professional journalists wrestle with the same issues as someone who knows a future story arc or signs an NDA with a game publisher. They’re not exactly paragons of purity and probably can’t afford to be in the long term. They deal in the real world where access can be denied if a piece is too critical or damaging.
@Conor maybe not “certified” but definitely a lot of us who are qualified, who actually go to school to learn the basics and ethics and morality of actual journalism and not (and this isn’t a generalization of all (I must stress that)) the occasional big-mouthed idiot blogger who claims to be a journalist because they just got a WordPress account. I went to school for 4 years to learn to be a journalist, even though I’m a designer and not a reporter so I do my thing visually as best I can, and I’m proud to say that I can call myself one.
@neums: Nothing that I said contradicts what you said.
I also don’t think you have to go to j-school to be a good reporter. Most of the best reporters I know (and I know many) didn’t.
Ryan, as a working journalist, I don’t find your definition of “journalism” (or its distinction from “the press”) very useful. It’s certainly not the definition I’ve seen used in my industry — although not everyone’s definition is the same — but making “journalism” synonymous only with Woodward & Bernstein investigative reporting, News of the World-style dirty tricks or vacuous rumour-mongering is disingenuous. Those are only the most revered and the most reviled aspects of how our business is sometimes done.
Journalism, as I see it practiced, is the professional business of interpreting the news — and publishing it for an audience — by an organization or a person not materially affiliated with the groups being reported on. Your mileage may vary on the “professional” part — bloggers are only journalists insofar as they treat their blogging as a job, with all the ethical rigor that this entails.
Within those parameters, there are many, many ways to report and present the news. Copy editors are journalists because they check the reporters’ facts, and make news judgments on things like headlines and cuts for space. Designers and graphic artists are journalists too, because they package information for the reading public to better communicate the news. There are data journalists, whose job it is to sift through statistics and public documents for news.
Your example of someone breaking into the Marvel office and rifling through files is an extreme one. Not all journalists hack people’s phones. Not all journalists invade people’s privacy. Those things are against the law (at least they are where you and I live), and real journalists don’t engage in illegal shenanigans. (If they do, they’re not journalists for very long.)
Now, as to comics journalism: It’s true that not all comics websites call their work journalism, and even those that do may not act the part. But the best ones (including iFanboy, natch) still fit the very broad description of service journalism: They’re advising consumers about books coming out, interviewing creators, covering conventions and sometimes breaking news. Other commenters have brought up the David Brothers investigation of digital piracy at Marvel, which is a good recent example of investigative comics reporting. But again, not all journalism needs to be investigative journalism. That’s just the sexy kind.
You’re right to question whether comics websites can do good journalism when they’re so close to the industry they’re covering. This isn’t a problem unique to comics — arts reporters who cover a specialized field have the same challenges balancing close relationships with their sources with the need to be fair in their coverage. Your example of knowing about story arcs before they come out isn’t unique to comics either: News reporters get sneak peeks and write under embargoes all the time. (Science reporters, for example, usually have embargoes for stories about new research in scientific journals that haven’t been published yet.)
Comics are still a unique challenge because the number of people making and consuming comics is so small, and the number of people reporting on them is even smaller. I don’t have an easy answer about how they could do good journalism, but I’d say it’s possible. And it’s not necessary to redefine “journalism” to do it.
This said just about everything I was going to but said it much better than I was going to.
What I would add is my opinion that comics could very much use more journalism of a different kind than is commonly done and of a higher standard than is commonly done. Now this isn’t what iFanboy and many other sites are about, they exist to do something else, and in iFanboy’s case they do what they do very well. So while I don’t expect incisive or investigative journalism of serious stories from every site that covers comics there is definitely a vacuum out there to be filled.
In my mind an example of this vacuum came following the New 52 launch. Stories around claims of sexism in the comics, in both content and in hiring practices, could have used more hard journalism and less opinion. Don’t get me wrong I read some great, insightful opinion pieces but saw little in the way of thoughtful exploration of fact.
I also think there is a real lacking in professional quality reviews online. I do believe there is such a thing as the possibility of journalism in criticism but it is almost non-existent on comics sites.
@kingdomofevan Thank you. Especially that you would include page designers like myself in your explanation.
@neums No problem. I design pages too. 🙂
I appreciate the clarification and explanations. I admitted in the article that I was working from a limited understanding of the distinction and I did my best to be clear about how I was using it.
I also didn’t mean to insinuate that illegal or immoral activities were necessary to being a journalist, but there is an element of reporting things that the parties in the spotlight might not want exposed, which is how I was thinking of it in terms of the comic world.
Regardless, I’m glad you provided your insight and perspective. And I’m equally glad you weren’t a dick in the way you provided it. 🙂
Ain’t no thing, man. Being a dick isn’t my style. (And I’m sorry if I seemed to imply that you were implying that shenanigans are a routine part of journalism; I was just taking issue with the example you chose.)
@kingdomofevan, thanks from me too. As another journo by trade (reporter turned design sub), I was puzzled by Ryan’s distinction between ‘journalist’ and ‘press’ … for a sec I was wondering if it wasn’t some US understanding. Anyway, you’ve set things out eloquently.
Regardless, nice one Ryan, for sparking an interesting discussion. I enjoy the gossip, but I enjoy the deeper stuff too; it’s only when sites take a fawning tone with the big companies (not something that happens here, happily) that I get frowny.
As for the question of whether you have to be accredited or in a professional organisation before describing yourself as a journalist, that’s not the case here in the UK. Membership of the main body, the NUJ, is more about collective bargaining than maintaining professional standards. I know plenty of great journalists who aren’t members, and some less wonderful ones who are fully paid up.
Let’s not worry too much about labels, just let people take the approach they prefer … so long as there’s a mix of reporting and opinion, I’m happy.
Yes and no but more no than yes.
Journalism, press, bloggers, right or wrong – gives me something to read at work.