A plastic card could say a lot

Blair, Glass, Leopold, we know their names; most of us probably despise them. And it is because of people like them, and of course bloggers too, that I think journalists should be required to have “credentials.” I think the morals and ethics of journalism in today’s world have to a great degree become a distant memory. As all our studies on blogging and the new media revolution have shown, many believe that anyone can be a journalist.
Are we okay with this? Are all the years we spent pounding into our brains the qualities that will make us thrive as writers simply a waste? Well, when those less-than-savory characters fabricate a story or get their facts wrong, it can sometimes seem so.
But for many journalists it is a point of pride that we’re not licensed or credentialed. Many think that to do so would be a ghastly violation of what we call a free press. In the past I may have agreed with this. But too much has changed these days, honesty and commitment to truth are not so valued, it seems. Trained journalists could gain so much by having some form of licensing or requirements before working for a news outlet.
First of all, it would make it much easier to blacklist the scoundrels that taint the name of journalism. If you fabricate a story, or maliciously lie, your license could be taken away. This would mean the end of the road, no chance of making a buck as a writer and justice would be served.
Next, a form of journalistic licensing would protect the integrity of our profession. No more would you have frauds such as Jason Leopold lurking around the newsroom. If you go to school, put in the time and effort required, you can work for a news outlet. I don’t think it should be any other way. Perhaps I’m partial because I went through the hell of the Missourian, but I’m sure most true journalists would agree. Along these lines, bloggers that term themselves “journalists” would become a rarity. I find it totally absurd that some guy sitting in front of his computer in his underwear is allowed to even be considered in the same sentence as journalists.
We work extremely hard for our profession. I don’t think any real journalist would have any objection to licensing that requires a journalism degree to work in a newsroom. If someone does object, it might be a good idea to do a little fact-checking in their stories.