December 14, 2007

A Refresher Course in the First Amendment

University of Georgia journalism professor (and former NBC correspondent) David Hasinski needs a refresher course in the First Amendment. Hasinski wrote a column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution asserting that Big Journalism should "monitor and regulate" bloggers, and J-schools should "certify" citizen journalists. He also, oddly, asserts that because Big Journalism in America doesn't have its own professional standards and licensing board, "anyone has a right to declare himself or herself a journalist."

Mr. Hasinski, with all due respect, it is the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press that gives any American the right to do journalism and declare himself or herself a journalist." When the authors of the First Amendment said "they press," they did not mean the news media as we today understand the term. They meant, quite literally, the printing press. In modern terms, that means the tools of publication - the printing press, the computer terminal, the Internet, the television camera, the radio mic and the broadcasting tower.

I used to be a professional journalist, complete with a J-school degree. But I've never been so arrogant about journalism that I've claimed or believed the First Amendment was written to protect only members of the "news media." It was written to protect the rights of ALL Americans.

The First Amendment says the right of the people to use the tools of communication "shall not be infringed." ALL of "the people," Mr. Hasinski, not just a self-appointed, self-righteous media elite epitomized by, well, you.

With all due respect, Mr. Hasinski, that protection is why you were able to be a reporter for NBC, why you're able to teach the craft of journalism to students at the University of Georgia and why you're able to write - and have published - your inane thoughts about having uncertified, unregulated, unlicensed people who practice the craft of journalism for for-profit Big Journalism outfits somehow be given the right to monitor, regulate and certify your fellow citizens who chose, instead, to do their journalism - reporting, commentary, video, whatever - independently via their blogs and YouTube.

And, with all due respect Mr. Hasinski, your lead example of the so-called "risk" of "unfettered citizen journalism" - CNN's use of a question from a Hillary Clinton campaign worker in its Republican Presidential YouTube Debate while concealing the connection and bias of the questioner - and is not an example of low standards in citizen journalism. It is an example of the failure of CNN - a supposedly professional media organization - to live up to the minimum standards of the profession.

When CNN and the rest of Big Journalism cleans up its own house, Mr. Hasinski, perhaps the world of citizen journalism will want to take some lessons from it. Until then, you would best serve your profession by encouraging it to learn something the citizen journalists. Because they seem to do a much better job of fact-checking and research than CNN. They also understand the true meaning of the First Amendment better than Mr. Hasinski.

See also:
Warner Todd Huston's response to Hasinski at NewsBusters.org.

Update: Hasinski also proposes that J-schools like the one where he teaches "should create mini-courses to certify citizen journalists in proper ethics and procedures." While that concept is laudable, I have to wonder who Hasinski might bring in as guest lecturers. I'm looking forward to hearing Dan Rather teach document authentication and the novel "fake but accurate" defense...