What do you do when your political career hits the skids? Become a “journalist,” of course! I’m using the word “journalist” in the loosest possible terms, because true journalists don’t write with a bias. Unfortunately, the profession of journalism has become so muddied as to what it actually entails that even supposed journalists don’t know what journalism is anymore.
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a new gig since leaving office — a whopping 24 hours ago — and “contributing editor” at the elitist, leftist publication, The Atlantic.
According to the Chicago Tribune:
The Atlantic, where Emanuel has written a dozen essays in recent months, has made him a “contributing editor,” the national magazine announced in a statement Tuesday.
“The Atlantic will be the primary home for Emanuel’s writing, with the former mayor contributing frequent essays to The Atlantic’s Ideas section,” Anna Bross, a magazine spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement.
The writer of the Tribune piece about Emanuel’s new job, Lisa Donovan, might need a refresher on what a journalist actually is, because if Emanuel is primarily going to write op-eds then he wouldn’t be considered a journalist — at least in the true sense.
Heck, Emanuel’s latest article for The Atlantic is titled, “It’s Time to Hold American Elites Accountable for Their Abuses.” Now, that title is funny for a variety of reasons. But, perhaps the funniest is the Tribune classifies Emanuel as journalist, even with that headline.
I have absolutely no problem with Emanuel beginning a new chapter of his life. By all means, write away. I just had a problem with the Tribune giving the okay to an article that calls an op-ed writer a "journalist."
Maybe by today’s standards, which aren’t very high, Emanuel is a journalist. But there are very few places, in any, that don’t have at least a slight slant in their reporting.
This is the reason, despite having a degree in journalism, that yours truly doesn’t classify himself as a journalist. I’m a writer, commentator and video content creator. I give all of you the facts that are being reported by reputable sources, but I add my own commentary on it. Call it my own stupid integrity that prevents me from labeling myself as the thing that my degree certifies me as being, which a lot of people who consider themselves journalists don’t have.
See? It’s not that difficult to identify what constitutes a journalist.