However, he is certainly not a professional journalist and this is the nub of the matter; just because somebody does not do something professionally does that mean they are not something? Previously definition would have been no problem as a journalist would be defined by his profession, it would be as easy as categorizing an electrician as an electrician. The internet has allowed for amateur journalism to expand its scope vastly; this is both good in that it allows for the flowering of diversity and talent that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. However, it also challenges existing notions, institutions and indeed legal systems to both protect the rights of this ‘new breed’ and prevent the abuse of the power of the new media.
French lessons
Meanwhile, France’s Constitutional Court approved a law banning citizens from filming violence; imposing penalties of up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 Euros. It was proposed by presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy perhaps in an early bid to capture some populist moral conservative kudos. It was touted as an attempt to clamp down on ‘happy slapping’ – a teenage prank where a complete stranger is slapped and reaction is filmed. However, a French George Holliday (the bystander who videoed the infamous beating of Rodney King) would now be culpable under this new law and be facing five years in prison himself.
The lesson here is simply that the state cannot be trusted to regulate the internet without seeking to extend it’s own power. Of course, this will always be claimed to be in the interests of the people but the reality is that state’s always act first and foremost to preserve themselves, often from the people. Politicians such as Sarkozy will seize on uglier aspects of the internet and exploit them to win support for laws that may appear reasonable but in fact extend state power unreasonably. Britain’s Times is considered a ‘small ‘c’ conservative’ newspaper but even it’s commentator was forced to describe the new law as “broad worded” and point out that “democratic societies and totalitarian states hold an equally deep suspicion of citizen journalists”.
Article comments
1 - Raoul
Thanks Darrell, great article! That new French law is pretty inane, but then most laws passed by politicians without real input from the public are either inane or inadequate.
2 - gette
I am currently reading a biography of H.P. Lovecraft, who, in addition to writing short stories, was an "amateur journalist." He wrote for several publications and was part of a community of peers. We are part of a long tradition and deserve the same rights afforded paid journalists, as we share the same intention to document the facts of the world around us.
Nice writing, by the way!
3 - STM
What happened to his First Amendment rights? Disgraceful, really, that this is happening in the United States. Even if he is not working for a news organisation, it's not up to a court to decide whether he's a journalist or not. That rests on Wolf's say so - and if he can prove he's writing and reporting, regardless of the medium, he's a journalist.
I wonder if TV and radio reporters were regarded the same way when the elctronic media began to make inroads into the mass markets of newspapers and journals?