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This is that blog post; I am a Journalist — Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents
“I am a blogger,” I offer in lieu of the J word — a fusion of activism, reactivism, and news. The distinction seems important. I rarely stop to examine the accuracy of my clause because of the intensity I feel my cause. See, a journalist wouldn’t write that sentence, correct?
“I am not a journalist,” is a phrase I have uttered seemingly a million times. Mostly to reporters or other individuals interviewing me. Journalism is a craft, an art form, a profession that requires training and education and a grasp of grammar. I don’t mean it requires a master’s degree; education takes many forms, some of which are perseverance and dogged hard work, listening to those more experienced, putting in the time.
A few years ago, I approached someone writing for a now-defunct outlet about a factual error in the story. After we went back and forth, they said that “new journalism” doesn’t get hung up on facts and official statements.
I definitely did not want to be a new journalist.
In The Writing Years
In my high school days, we read a lot of great literature but did not write much. Summaries to be sure we understood the texts rather than analysis. But there were moments — I was sitting on a lawn chair in the front…
