Are you a reporter?

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I went to the polls yesterday with my mind set on who I would vote for (President-Elect Barack Obama) and a Nikon D40 with an SB600 speed flash. As I’ve mentioned before many times, perception is everything. Lugging around a DSLR with a speed flash and a long lens instantly creates the perception among many people that you’re a photographer in some official capacity. No fewer than 8 times waiting to vote, I was asked by fellow voters and election officials if I was a reporter.

In the 2004 elections, the answer would have been no.

In 2006, the answer would have been I don’t know. Blogging, podcasting, new media was still so new that no one really had a feel for what they were doing, for what kind of power they had.

Yesterday, I quietly and confidently said yes. Yes, I am a reporter. I may not be to the caliber that will ever put a Pulitzer Prize in my office, but I fulfill the role of a journalist by finding and presenting news to an audience, whether it’s for the Financial Aid Podcast, Marketing Over Coffee, or my blog here. I am a journalist, even more so than the “traditional” media in my hometown, which couldn’t even get a photographer to one of our largest polling sites until late morning, and the photos I’d taken were up on Flickr and CNN iReport shortly after they were taken as polls opened.

More important, you are a reporter, too. If you have a blog, if you have a media production like a podcast, if you have anywhere you publish online, you are a reporter. You are a member of the media, and that carries great opportunities and great responsibilities.

As we open a new chapter on America after the election, we legitimize all of new media for playing a role in the outcome of the election and for President-Elect Obama’s judicious use of new and old media combined to engineer a victory.

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Comments

19 responses to “Are you a reporter?”

November 5, 2008

Ari Herzog

Indeed, Chris. The line between an online journalist and a print/radio/TV journalist is a blur. Welcome to the tribe.

Reply
November 5, 2008

Ari Herzog

Indeed, Chris. The line between an online journalist and a print/radio/TV journalist is a blur. Welcome to the tribe.

Reply
November 5, 2008

justinlevy

Excellent post Chris! I agree with Ari that the line is now blurred but that is to our benefit. Now it will be interesting to see if everyone else starts to understand that all of us are reporters too and that it's important to consider us as well. It will be interesting to see what happens as we move forward after this election.

Reply
November 5, 2008

justinlevy

Excellent post Chris! I agree with Ari that the line is now blurred but that is to our benefit. Now it will be interesting to see if everyone else starts to understand that all of us are reporters too and that it's important to consider us as well. It will be interesting to see what happens as we move forward after this election.

Reply
November 5, 2008

Ari Herzog

Indeed, Chris. The line between an online journalist and a print/radio/TV journalist is a blur. Welcome to the tribe.

Reply
November 5, 2008

justinlevy

Excellent post Chris! I agree with Ari that the line is now blurred but that is to our benefit. Now it will be interesting to see if everyone else starts to understand that all of us are reporters too and that it’s important to consider us as well. It will be interesting to see what happens as we move forward after this election.

Reply
November 7, 2008

Morrie

A reporter indeed, and a damned good one at that.

Reply
November 7, 2008

Morrie

A reporter indeed, and a damned good one at that.

Reply
November 8, 2008

Morrie

A reporter indeed, and a damned good one at that.

Reply
November 10, 2008

Allan

I write a blog but I don't consider myself a journalist or a member of the media. I don't sell ad space on my blog and I'm not trying to report the news.

Reply
November 10, 2008

Allan

I write a blog but I don't consider myself a journalist or a member of the media. I don't sell ad space on my blog and I'm not trying to report the news.

Reply
November 11, 2008

Allan

I write a blog but I don't consider myself a journalist or a member of the media. I don't sell ad space on my blog and I'm not trying to report the news.

Reply
November 30, 2008

Scott

I'm a little “old school” so this is hard for me. By new media definition, Rush Limbaugh is a reporter. So too is Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity. (Can you tell I'm a lefty?) It should be no surprise then that I'm a mainstream media “reporter” – in the traditional sense. 🙂 But having said that, I work very hard on a daily basis to “report” news in an un-biased (ideally objective) fashion. I understand that's not always possible, but it's an important distinction. Could we agree there is a difference between “reporters” and “social commentators” and “bloggers”? I think we all fit under an expanding tent of “media” but I'm a little too traditional to support “reporter” or “journalist.” Sheesh, I'm 36 y/o…but I feel 76 saying this!! 🙂

Reply
November 30, 2008

Scott

I'm a little “old school” so this is hard for me. By new media definition, Rush Limbaugh is a reporter. So too is Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity. (Can you tell I'm a lefty?) It should be no surprise then that I'm a mainstream media “reporter” – in the traditional sense. 🙂 But having said that, I work very hard on a daily basis to “report” news in an un-biased (ideally objective) fashion. I understand that's not always possible, but it's an important distinction. Could we agree there is a difference between “reporters” and “social commentators” and “bloggers”? I think we all fit under an expanding tent of “media” but I'm a little too traditional to support “reporter” or “journalist.” Sheesh, I'm 36 y/o…but I feel 76 saying this!! 🙂

Reply
December 1, 2008

Scott

I'm a little “old school” so this is hard for me. By new media definition, Rush Limbaugh is a reporter. So too is Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity. (Can you tell I'm a lefty?) It should be no surprise then that I'm a mainstream media “reporter” – in the traditional sense. 🙂 But having said that, I work very hard on a daily basis to “report” news in an un-biased (ideally objective) fashion. I understand that's not always possible, but it's an important distinction. Could we agree there is a difference between “reporters” and “social commentators” and “bloggers”? I think we all fit under an expanding tent of “media” but I'm a little too traditional to support “reporter” or “journalist.” Sheesh, I'm 36 y/o…but I feel 76 saying this!! 🙂

Reply
January 11, 2009

Steve Sherron

I recently went to a ceremony with my Canon XH A1 and a tripod to shoot some video. I acted like and was treated like the media. I was there to report, so I considered myself a reporter. I was given press releases, people got out of my way, I went anywhere I wanted and was asked if I needed audio hookups for my camera. Yes, I am a reporter. Maybe I'm only local, but that's where a lot of the action is at now.

Reply
January 11, 2009

Steve Sherron

I recently went to a ceremony with my Canon XH A1 and a tripod to shoot some video. I acted like and was treated like the media. I was there to report, so I considered myself a reporter. I was given press releases, people got out of my way, I went anywhere I wanted and was asked if I needed audio hookups for my camera. Yes, I am a reporter. Maybe I'm only local, but that's where a lot of the action is at now.

Reply
January 11, 2009

Steve Sherron

I recently went to a ceremony with my Canon XH A1 and a tripod to shoot some video. I acted like and was treated like the media. I was there to report, so I considered myself a reporter. I was given press releases, people got out of my way, I went anywhere I wanted and was asked if I needed audio hookups for my camera. Yes, I am a reporter. Maybe I'm only local, but that's where a lot of the action is at now.

Reply
January 11, 2009

Steve Sherron

I recently went to a ceremony with my Canon XH A1 and a tripod to shoot some video. I acted like and was treated like the media. I was there to report, so I considered myself a reporter. I was given press releases, people got out of my way, I went anywhere I wanted and was asked if I needed audio hookups for my camera. Yes, I am a reporter. Maybe I'm only local, but that's where a lot of the action is at now.

Reply