Back here I shared the story of a next-generation iPhone accidentally left behind in a bar, where it was discovered and ultimately sold to a site that shared its scoop around the world, generating enormous hits.

Since then, Apple sent the site, Gizmodo, a letter demanding the return of the phone, and sicced authorities on the web journalist, Jason Chen. San Mateo County investigators seized computers  and other electronics from Chen’s house (apparently overstepping their authority, in the process).

This is disturbing in a number of ways.

The idea that police operating under a vaguely worded warrant can scoop up almost anything they find in your home, regardless of its connection to a potential crime,  is, to put it mildly, not good.  And by taking his computer, they also in effect took his notes. Under state and federal law, journalists’ notes are protected.

But… is Chen a journalist? He seems to be a blogger, but does that qualify one as a journalist? If so, then is what you’re reading journalism? Early in my career  I was a journalist, and I do sometimes break news here; does that make me a journalist?

Recently I’ve been doing a lot of traveling and talking about a new social media tech startup that I’m involved with. At some point in one of the many wide-ranging discussions I’ve been in around the country I said, “The law is always reactive. It is always behind.” In other words, change comes first — changes in how we do business, in technology, in cultural behavior — and the law follows. The expansion of gay rights is only one recent example.

Whatever a “journalist” is in 2010, that definition is, I assure you, far removed from what it was 25 years ago when serving as one was how I made my living. Where once broadcast journalists went into the jungle with a field team, and later sent that footage to editors who reworked it and managing editors who helped reshape the narrative of all the coverage, now ABC News hires only “digital journalists” (translation:  one guy with his own camera, plus internet access). Ultimately, it will prove to be neither better nor worse — just different. The Internet makes news more now.

Here’s James Rainey’s think piece on the ethics of this case. It’s worth reading.  And here’s an editorial from the LA Times on the Apple/Gizmodo saga, highlighting the distressing implications for journalists. I would ask:  In an age when everyone has access to the tools of reporting, and millions of people use them daily, is everyone a journalist?

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 29th, 2010 at 7:38 pm and is filed under Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.