It’s really great to see that social media has taken off in Singapore although I suspect that much evolution lies ahead.
Over the last couple of months, I have met a number of bloggers and I’ve been following the Social Media Breakfast sessions – the last one being earlier today.
While I appreciate the group trying to gain some focus in their direction, there were several issues raised and observed that left me feel unsettled. This one takes the cake …
Bloggers are journalists?
Huh … really? Sorry folks, but let’s get real here.
Journalists are professionals. They write for a living. It takes years of training in a very tough environment before you can call yourself a true-blue journalist. I’m speaking from many, many years of experience in newspapers, magazines and the online world.
In the newspaper world, in particular every word is scrutinised to ensure accuracy and objectivity. And unless you are doing a review or a commentary copy – you report the news. You don’t become the focus of attention where your opinion IS the story.
Very often, much research goes into fleshing out the story even before the first word is written. Each copy goes through several hands to ensure that all the information is there, the angles are spot on and the reader is left feeling that the five minutes they took to read the copy was time well spent.
Do journalists make mistakes? Sure (and they bleed too and laugh and cry and have good days and bad hair days- just like all other mere mortals). But when a journalist makes a mistake and especially when there’s a wishbone (that’s a What It Should Have Been report) the next day, it’s very painful. You need to explain how the hell it happened. In serious cases a warning letter is issued (ie say goodbye to part of your bonus) or it can mean the boot – and yes that does happen. Thankfully not very often. But that’s life of a journalist. There is a professional creed that needs to be upheld.
And now we have bloggers in Singapore touting themselves as journalists! Where is the quality control and the accountability? Do they uphold the same standards – and now we have paid bloggers. What does that say about standards of independent and unbiased comment?
Sure there are good ones out there. Intelligent people giving their take this or that. But if you are writing from a personal perspective, can honestly called yourself a journalists? Where is the balance and critique before the copy sees the light of day? Can bloggers really call themselves journalists? I think not. Social commentators … well that still requires a considerable leap of the imagination, but perhaps, it’s a little closer to the truth…
