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I see the title of being called a citizen journalist as being a person who writes for the love of writing but does so without being compensated monitarily for their efforts. Once money comes into play a journalist or writer is then considered to be a freelancer and a professional; someone who is not affiliated with one particulare publication. Like the student who writes for the high school or college newspaper is still a journalist in the eyes of the law. But just because someone is not being paid to express an opinion or state the facts does not relieve them of the rights and responsibilites that go along with being a journalist. Authors and journalists write because they feel a need to do so; but with that comes a great responsibility to not only to provide the best information possible but to do so in a responsible manner.

All journalists are subject to the same laws. Just because a journalist is not affiliated with any particular organization does not mean they can go off and say or do whatever they please. It only takes one un-responsiblie person to give the entire profession a bad name and most people are not going to make the distinction between citizen or professional. To the general public a journalist is a journalist no matter how they are labeled.

The internet has opened a whole new format for journalist to express their thoughts and opinions. It has also given the non-professional the opportunity to make a mark in the world of writing. But just because soemthing appears on the internet as opposed to being in print or on the television does not change the rules of responsiblity or the laws regarding journalism.

If a citizen journalist breaks the laws when it comes to libel or defimation of character the penalties are likely to somewhat less harsh in the size of the fines or length of jail time than that a professional might receive but the citizen journalist is still liable to those same laws.

Being labeled a citizen journalist does not change the fact that someone IS a jouralist and as such is subject to all the laws, rules, and traditions of being a journalist that have been passed down since the art of writing was created.

Learn more about this author, Sherrill Fulghum.
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