Reading through Mr. David Shaw's editorial (NevadaAppeal.com web exclusive, March 31), I was absolutely appalled to find that some self-described "bloggers" had decided that they have the rights of reporters.
I own a few different blogs. I suppose that makes me a blogger. But most people do not consider their blogs anything lofty like newspaper or CNN reports. They're little more than public diaries and journals.
Anyone can make a blog; Websites such as livejournal.com, blurty.com, and mindsay.com have made it so that even the internet-inept can create a website and state their mind on it. There's no problem with that, as long as people realize the truth: a blog is not a newspaper, it is not a television station. It is a personal website most likely run by someone who is not experienced in journalism at all.
I, personally, have been keeping a blog for quite a few years, and I also have experience in journalism. But I would never, ever, ever presume to represent my opinions and daily findings in my blog as journalism. It's presumptuous. A journalist has to go through years of school or at least training to get to a point where they can consider themselves journalists. Any idiot can make a blog.
While I agree that some people have very popular blogs and have caused small social changes, their blog still cannot be considered journalism. Unless, of course, they are in actuality a journalist, who has gone through the process of becoming one, through years of school or work with a newspaper. Even then, unless said blogger is reporting the news, he is not a journalist.
A blogger is not a journalist or reporter. A blogger is little more than a diarist. Had I continued on with my dream to some day become a journalist, I would have spent four to six years in a journalism school, and another two to three years interning at a newspaper or news station. Another few years writing the society columns or the local stuff, before I could ever hope to get a whole section of the paper to myself.
That's up to 10 years of doing things I'd rather not do just to be able to call myself a journalist. For a blogger to presume that they have the same journalistic rights as someone who went through 10 years of bull to get to where they are now...well, if I were a journalist, I'd be offended.
As I stated before, any idiot can make a blog. I see a ton of blogs every day that have poor grammar, misspellings, lies, and just general stupidity. If you as a blogger think that you have all of the protective rights as journalists, then I suggest you try to get a job at a newspaper such as our own Nevada Appeal. Deal with the deadlines, the editorial process, and the interviews, and then, maybe then, you can call your blog journalism. Maybe. But if you aren't willing to go through that process, then my friends, you have no right whatsoever to call yourself a journalist. You're a two-bit diarist, plain and simple. And when you hear a fellow blogger calling himself a journalist, well, I suggest you put him in his place.
NATASHA GONZALES
Carson City