I think the only path forward is for journalists to get serious about defining and protecting their job. No government is going to step in to do it because of the optics, but many sectors have colleges that define and enforce standards of behaviour.
It’s time for journalists to step up and do the same.
I think this is a great idea. A professional accreditation that is managed by journalists would definitely help with preventing misinformation and disinformation. Require certain number of years working under a professional journalist and an ethics exam (similar to PEng) to be a “Professional journalist”. Then government can legislate rules at the recommendation of this body around whether an organization can be called a “news organization” and is protected by freedom of the press laws. This way the managing body can strip people of their professional accreditation for peddling misinformation and disinformation and general journalistic malpractice.
I think the only path forward is for journalists to get serious about defining and protecting their job. No government is going to step in to do it because of the optics, but many sectors have colleges that define and enforce standards of behaviour.
It’s time for journalists to step up and do the same.
I think this is a great idea. A professional accreditation that is managed by journalists would definitely help with preventing misinformation and disinformation. Require certain number of years working under a professional journalist and an ethics exam (similar to PEng) to be a “Professional journalist”. Then government can legislate rules at the recommendation of this body around whether an organization can be called a “news organization” and is protected by freedom of the press laws. This way the managing body can strip people of their professional accreditation for peddling misinformation and disinformation and general journalistic malpractice.
There would need to be public members of the board as well or it could very quickly turn into an old boys club.
Yeah, that’s done in the professional organization I’m familiar with and I assume with others too