Bloggers as Legitimate Journalists, Israeli Press Cards?

For the past few years, there has been a campaign to pressure/convince the Israeli Government Press Office to recognize bloggers as journalists and give us official Press Cards.  Of course, not all bloggers are the same and not all do anything that can be considered "journalism."

"BLOGGERS TO RECEIVE GPO CARDS

The Advisory Committee on Evaluating the Criteria for Issuing Government Press Office (GPO) Cards this morning (Tuesday), 13.12.11, submitted its recommendations to Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein, Public Diplomacy, Diaspora Affairs Ministry Director-General Ronen Plot and GPO Director Oren Helman.

The Committee recommended unifying the various types of cards issued by the GPO under the single heading "GPO Card" which would serve all those engaged in media professions.

In light of the Committee's recommendations, it was proposed to expand the content of the substantive definitions of media and the list of media professions and positions in order to adapt them to recent changes and developments in the field. The new definitions include media professions and means such as bloggers and niche portals." complete article

At the second International Jewish Bloggers Convention in Jerusalem a few years ago (there never was a third or more) the subject was broached and cheered.

I've always considered my blogs my own privately controlled magazines.  Especially, here on Shiloh Musings, I write mainly op-ed pieces, but sometimes I do, frequently with the help of friends, offer news even illustrated articles, like the one about the early morning attack on Alei Eyin by the IDF. 

Another would be my expose` showing the enormous luxury homes the Arabs are building here in Judea/Samaria. These pictures are a few years old.  Today there are many more and much larger Arab mansions; they dwarf the homes my neighbors and I live in.

This blog, Shiloh Musings, isn't restricted to just my writings.  A few friends are allowed to post whenever they have something important to say.  There's no way I can write about life in Israel's south, under Arab terrorist bombardment the way Netivotgirl can.  Sara Layah Shomron, one of those expelled by Israel from Gush Katif, reports from Nitzan about the dangers and trying to rebuild their lives, despite being targeted by Arab terrorists.

Many bloggers, like myself, also write for other publications, but by having blogs we are our "own bosses" and control what gets published and when.  Actually, I do have a degree in journalism.  I'm not some yenta at the keyboard.  My blog posts are read by many, though I can't prove numbers, since they're available on facebook and other social media.  And they're also "copied" on other sites.  A number of years ago I did get an official Israeli Press Card by showing a letter from a foreign newspaper I write for.  I consider myself to be a journalist, albeit an opinionated one.