Article Surfing Archive

I can't speak for the magazine business, but as a former newspaperman, I can tell you how newspapers gather information. The first thing a new reporter does on a beat is introduce himself to all the principle people on that beat. For example a reporter covering a federal courthouse would introduce himself to the chief judge in the district and to the US Attorney for the district, also to the clerk of the courts and the head of the US Marshal Service in that courthouse. In short, find out who the movers and decision makers are and make yourself known to them.

If I were covering the fashion world for a fashion magazine, I would first learn who the newsmakers were. IT might be a particular fashion house, a designer, or buyers for the important stores. Learn who they are and make yourself known to them. Also let them know that you are interested in any new developments in their fields and are willing to learn as much as you possibly can. You might also find out that many of the people in the fashion industry employ public relations firms to get the word out, so introduce yourself to the major PR people.

Depending on what your position is on your magazine, you might ask for help from some of the senior writers or editors. My practice was always to ask for help, no matter what the situation was. Sometimes people will see you as a threat to their jobs so they might refuse to help you, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Keep an open mind and be creative in your search for information and for contacts.

Generally speaking, you are a journalist if you write for a newspaper, magazine or other kind of journal that reports the news regularly. According to American tradition and constitutional law, the profession of journalism is separate from and independent of government regulation or registration.This is important because it is felt within the journalism profession that once we submit to being registered and licensed by government, then the government that we are obliged to report on can then decide who is and who isn't a journalist.

That means if I begin to report unfavorable facts about the way the government is doing business, they would have the power to revoke my registration and silence my journalistic voice. We fight hard to keep governments from trying to register us and to regulate us. We are governed only by laws of libel. Generally in this country you are a journalist if you report and write the news for a regularly published newspaper or magazine.

Various news organizations issue identification cards for their own employees and that should be enough. We steadfastly resist government's attempt to regulate us.For if we allow them to regulate and license us, we also allow them to revoke that license and to silence us.I know I have repeated this principle several times, but it is important enough to bear repeating. If your weekly newspaper says you are a legitimate employee of them, engaged in writing and reporting the news, that should be enough.

A journalist is a person who reports and writes the news. He is usually an employee of a newspaper, or works under a contractual arrangement with a newspaper. The term is broad, it can include peple who report for magazines or for radio and TV stations. To get an exact definition go to a dictionary.

The freedom of the press and freedom for journalists to report the news is not a universal freedom. In many countries when a dictator or a tyrant takes over the first thing he does is get control of the newspapers. There are just some of those people out there that think can get away with some of the stuff that they are doing. Most of them think that if they can get control of the newpapers then they can have them print what they tell them too with death to them of a loved one. So most of the time a lot of journalist will stay clear of some topicas where others belive in freedom of speech.