Mayhill Fowler: A Question of Journalistic Intentions

I found the presentation on Tuesday's discussion of Mayhill Fowler's coverage of "Bittergate" and Bush's response to the new book about him interesting, as the issue of identifying oneself as a blogger relates to the question of where and how bloggers fit into the news media. The troubling thing is that Fowler did not give any indication that she was a journalist, as in the Bittergate case, she donated money to enter the event, something a journalist typically is discouraged from doing, and in the story about Clinton, asked her question while describing the book as a "hatchet job," immediately making herself seem like a supporter who wanted to hear Clinton denounce the author. While public figures, especially politicians, should not let their guard down and say things like what Obama and Clinton did at these events out of the belief that they will not be recorded, the journalists should make their intent clear when asking questions, and Fowler clearly did not seem to consider that the people whom she was quoting did not see her as a reporter.

This case has interesting ramifications for the debate over whether bloggers can be considered journalists. The event where Obama made his "Bittergate" remarks was closed to traditional press, but Fowler managed to enter and upload an item about the event to the website. The Obama campaign clearly did not consider the possibility of citizen journalists entering the event, or see bloggers as on the same level as mainstream journalists, or else they would most likely have required the guests to sign agreements about publishing it online. However, as long as bloggers are not given the same consideration as mainstream journalists, they will never be given the same amount of respect, and will continue to be denied access to events where only those with press credentials are admitted. Bloggers should work to remedy this by gaining recognition, and to do so, should attempt to show that they abide by journalistic ethics, starting with making their affiliations, intentions and aims in their reporting clear to those they cover.