"We're All Journalists Now"

The first chapter of “We’re All Journalists Now” made me think it’s a good thing my emphasis isn’t journalism. Of course public relations is effected by freedom of the press too. The first chapter raised the question: why should I spend money on four years of college? If citizen journalism becomes widely accepted, at least by the public, as a reliable source of news then why go to school for it?

It is scary to think that we are coming of a new age full of uncertainty and all we have to rely on is a background of uncertainty.

The press clause has never been a stabling backing. No one really knows what the founding fathers were thinking when they added it. Many people believe that they would not put anything in the First Amendment that was unneeded or redundant. In that case, using the freedom of speech clause and the press clause together wouldn’t work.

So how will we decide who is a journalist?

No one knows why court cases get chosen for review. Courts haven’t come up with any upstanding decisions on the press clause nationally. This poses a problem when the public should be informed of government decisions.
Especially since the press is said to be a check on government.

The press clause falls under an amendment that is supposed to cover fundamental personal rights and freedoms. It says nothing about institutions. This being said, should we really view press as an institution?

In the book it says that journalism should be viewed as an activity and not an institution.

Should the press have special rights then? And would this effect citizen journalism?
What kind of rights would the press have? Withholding information that could save someone’s life?

This brings back the question of who the press is. I think that the court would lean more toward a protection of institution press than personal freedoms.

In that case, it is almost relieving to think that the courts have not made a solid decision on the press clause.