Why can’t we just be bloggers?

The conversation continues to swirl in the blogosphere – are bloggers considered journalists? Writers? Columnists? Essayists? Critics? What are we? I mean, we have a public platform and we write on it. And sometimes we’re treated like something we’re not, but we’re also really smart people. So, why the constant debate?

When you write on a blogging platform, it’s my estimation that you are a blogger. And since we are in fact writing, that could make us writers as well. Sounds fair, right? I went to j-school and even graduated with a degree in journalism, but this doesn’t make me a journalist because my medium at the moment is a blog. If that should ever shift to traditional media such as television, magazines, or newspapers, I will probably use the training I received in school, adhere to the guidelines typically used by journalists, and consider myself as such. But until I actually follow the rules outlined in the AP Stylebook, I’m not a journalist.

The thing is, PR firms often mistake us for journalists so it’s understandable that we might be confused as well. Or rather, PR sometimes asks us to behave like traditional press – to disseminate information about their clients in a non-opinionated, objective manner. This behavior is just atypical of bloggers who have opinions about pretty much everything and aren’t shy to share them. Also, for most of us, unless we’re super moved by the content in a press release, we’re more likely to delete it, unread, than actually consider posting it.

Or, at least I am.

I like being contacted by PR people who know how to work with bloggers. I enjoy working with agencies that understand what separates bloggers from journalists. Because as a person who has held a job on both sides of the fence, throw in the fact that I’m a blogger as well, it can be said that I know the difference.

So that’s that. Bloggers, let’s be proud of the fact that we belong to a fast emerging community that’s not only well-respected, but slightly more interesting than “regular people.”

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