I don't care about what you have to say, and no I am not lying.

Welcome back everyone,

The Internet has spawned something called Internet Journalism. It sounds like normal journalism except on the Internet. Right? WRONG! While it also includes mainstream news network now available on the Internet, it is also about so much more. Like citizen journalism.

What is citizen journalism? Well, it means that everyone and anyone can be a journalist here on the Internet. All you have to do is go write or make a video about something and post it up on the Internet using your blog or Facebook or whatever it is that you want to use. And pray that someone actually cares about what you are writing. That is both the beauty and the beast of the Internet.

The issue is that everyone can report about anything under the sun. Therefore, the term journalism is thrown around very lightly. I can report about the number of warts on the big toe in the country, post it on the Internet and BAM! I am a journalist. You can see it as good thing because that means you can go around introducing yourself by saying "hey I am a journalist" but I tend to see it as a bad thing so please forgive me.

Warts, I am going to report about them and you can't stop me.

On a more serious note, the Internet is something everyone has access to. That is where everyone can come in and give their opinion. Important thing to note is the word "opinion". It does not translate into fact, despite many people on the Internet thinking so, especially when the "fact" is their own. People see the Internet as a tool for great learning. I see it as a tool for great lying. Thing is, many journalists approach controversial subjects with an open mind. However, many people on the Internet do not display such degrees of intelligence. They will distort or overlook facts just to get their point proven. Plus, you have the gullible people who believe everything that is on the Internet is the truth. There is going to be alot of misguided and misinformed people in the future, I predict.

So in all, citizen journalism might make you sound important. But do you, or that dude with the laptop drinking his latte at the nearest Starbucks have what it takes to be a professional journalist, with the emphasis on professional? You might consider me to be a fussy old man with the professionalism thing, but when you consider the millions of people looking at the Internet to learn something, the future of the human race is at stake.

Do you have what it takes to be a professional journalist?