Are the Toon Zone staff considered journalists?

[Master Toon]

This question is really supposed to be aimed toward any staff member but non-staff can answer it.

Are you guys considered animation journalists? Do you have degrees in journalism? The reason I asked is because I'm currently working on a website and I wanted to know if I would be considered a journalist or not.

Like the people from gaming news sites get to go into E3 and GDC but they don't own a newspaper or magazine, so how does that work?

In a way I'm asking if the Toon Zone staffers are journalist and can you be a journalist by owning a website. (That last part is off-topic but I wouldn't mind some help in that area ;)).

[Classic Speedy]

By definition, anyone who gathers and writes information about current events is a journalist.

As for your question concerning if news team members have received degrees in journalism, that's going to vary from person to person. Myself, I majored in Media Studies, which included some writing classes (including "Broadcast Writing", which was VERY helpful).

[Lord Dalek]

Well I actually work in the field of journalism although I hardly consider myself one.

[Jeff Harris]

I took numerous Journalism courses in order to get my minor in English and managed to get a B-average in those classes. Plus, my instructor in many of those classes just happens to be the public editor of The Virginian Pilot.

I majored in Graphic Design and Illustration and graduated with honors.

Does that make me a Journalist? Probably. But I consider myself a Commentary Writer whose works would be found in an op-ed piece, but I do know journalistic skills (i.e. analyzing the story before I write about it, finding out and researching all sources, and checking for accuracy). And I still have my NYT Style Manual.

[James]

Am I journalist? By definition, yes, but not by working trade. If you manage a school football team, it makes you a manager even if it doesn't make you a professional, money making top league manager.

I've had my work in print, and I've done enough interviews, reviews and articles here to qualify me as someone who dabbles in journalism. :) I take pride in my work, and I do my work as professionally and objectively as possible. I'm not a trained professional though, but then if you quantify journalism by someone who has a degree, you'll knock out a lot of professionals from the equation.

It's in the deeds, not in the qualifications.

But that's not really your question. As to how you quantify as a journalist for events isn't my field. You're best off PMing some of the reporters at TZ who do go to the cons - or even better, simply contacting the cons themselves and seeing what requirements they need.

If you are interested in journalism, direct contact with your target is probably a good rite of passage given it's something you'll probably have to get used to doing anyhow - and no one enjoys cold calling! :)

[Ed Liu]

I think you're asking three different, but related, questions at once. I'll try my best to identify and answer each of them.

1. Do the Toon Zone News staff members have journalism training/degrees?
There are definitely TZN reporters who have journalism training and/or journalism degrees, but there are quite a few (myself included) who haven't done much more than the basics that they teach in elementary school. Speaking personally, I model my behavior and my techniques after other media outlets I respect (or how I'd LIKE those outlets to act), with some self-taught stuff along the way.

BTW, the same is also true about our training in the history and process of animation -- some of us are trained animators, but a lot of us are purely self-taught.

2. Is Toon Zone News considered a animation journalism outlet?
Yes -- if nothing else because we've been cited by other journalism outlets, some even hitting the mainstream (material from our interview with the late Jennifer Davidson was mentioned in at least one obituary from a published outlet, for instance). The Internet has changed what it means to be a "journalist" or a "journalism outlet," but even if you follow stricter definitions to exclude bloggers, we fit the definition of a journalistic organization, other than the fact that our "salaries" are free stuff (review DVDs and press passes to conventions, for instance) and the accolades of our peers and readers.

3. How do you convince a company, organization, or convention that you are a journalist?
This is a different question from #2, mostly because a non-traditional journalist can be considered press for a convention or a company -- bloggers get review copies and press passes all the time, if they're high-profile enough to draw a significant audience. If you examine the "Press" pages for a convention (here's the page (http://www.nycomiccon.com/App/homepage.cfm?moduleid=2529&appname=100453&campaignid=61372446&iUserCampaignID=37856874) for the upcoming NY Comic Con and here's the page (http://www.sakuracon.org/press/index.php) for the just-past Sakura-Con), you'll usually find a page that will show you what a con requires to issue a press pass. Having a past history of solid coverage will go a long way to getting other organizations to recognize you as a member of the press.

-- Ed

[SirLemming]

We were until yesterday.


(The views sarcastically expressed in this post do not reflect those of the Toon Zone staff. Or, um, its subsidiaries?)

[Maxie Zeus]

We were until yesterday.


(The views sarcastically expressed in this post do not reflect those of the Toon Zone staff. Or, um, its subsidiaries?)

I know what you mean, but I'd like to point out the News page did not participate in the shenanigans. That was something you fools did all by yourselves. :p

[HellCat]

I just make the tea.

[Temple Fugate]

I myself am only a "journalist" every other April Fools.

There's something really fun about writing ridiculously contrived stories in a dry, methodical way.

[Lord Dalek]

I just make the tea.You there! Put the kettle on! :p

[Weatherman]

Apparently I'm a bit late to the party.


My only journalistic experience is with Toon Zone. I majored in History in college, so at least I didn't take anything related to journalism other than learning how to write resonably well. If you ask any of the conventions I go to if I am a journalist they would probably say yes since I get a press pass from them to cover the convention for this web site. If you asked someone who writes for, say, the Washington Post you would probably get a different answer.

But, yes, I would say that our news staff is.