I loathe the term "journalism." It’s a transparent attempt to make "reporting" respectable and to give reporters more room to offer their opinions.
I love how former New York Times Washington bureau chief Michael Oreskes said: "Matt Drudge and I are not in the same profession."
Guess what, Michael? Neither you nor Matt are in a profession.
What is a profession? I looked up the term on Wikipedia and got this:
A profession is an occupation, vocation or career where specialised knowledge of a subject, field, or science is applied. It is usually applied to occupations that involve prolonged academic training and a formal qualification… Professions are usually regulated by professional bodies that may set examinations of competence, act as an licencing authority for practitioners, and enforce adherence to an ethical code of practice.
I guess journalism does not fit the bill for a profession. You don’t need specialized knowledge nor academic training nor formal qualification to practice it. You are not regulated by professional bodies nor are there examinations of competence. There is no licencing authority for practicioners and there’s no enforced adherence to an ethical code. Journalists have so many conflicting ethical obligations (to themselves, to their craft, to their peers, to their employers, to their advertisers, to their subjects, to their readers) that an ethical code for journalism has little meaning.
I see reporting as a craft. According to Wikipedia: "A craft is a skill, especially involving practical arts. It may refer to a trade or particular art."
