Resumen de Identity crisis

Joel Simon

• Any effort by governments to grant privilege and protection to one class of journalists while excluding others is, in fact, a form of licensing, which is anathema to journalism. Moreover, the global information environment has become so complex that the traditional media--including the international media--is now just one source of news and information, and in some cases not the most objective one. Rather than erect barriers in the form of special laws, journalists should be breaking barriers down, recognizing that their ability to do their job depends less on defining a separate realm in which they operate and more on finding ways to ensure that freedom of expression is broadly defended and preserved--for journalists and non-journalists alike. The issue is relevant not only on the front lines in Taksim Turkey and Tahrir Egypt, but also in the US, where the issue of special protections for journalists is very much in the public debate. Here, Simon discusses why journalists should stop seeking special protection and just stand up for free speech.