Is it time to distinguish between journalists and bloggers journalists were forced to register?

It is no secret that I haven't respected the New Zealand mainstream media for quite some time but after reading Dirty Politics by Nicky Hager I have even less respect for them.  In chapter one there is an exchange by Whale Oil's Cameron Slater and Herald columnist Rachel Glucina.  Slater asks her to fabricate a story.  It's not yet known whether or not she did.  The book also details close relationships between Slater and TV3's Paddy Gower and Paul Henry and other well known New Zealand "journalists".  I have put that in commas because of the low standards of journalism exposed (not that it took much) by true journalist Nicky Hager.

Basically, if even half of what Hager wrote is true then there needs to be an independent inquiry, or what we call in Australia, an ICAC into the operations of the New Zealand media.  It is one thing to exaggerate the truth but it is another to hack for information and it is another to suggest outright lying.

Earlier this week the NZ High Court labelled Slater a journalist, many are appalled at this ruling, but anyone who knows anything about journalism knows that a true journalist would not hack, don't you remember the News of the World scandal which saw the paper closed? A true journalist knows you NEVER lie and a true journalist knows that you cannot defame - and it could be argued that Slater has defamed Auckland Mayor Len Brown and his former mistress (but now I wonder how much of that was true) Bevan Chuang.

The New Zealand Herald and Cameron Slater have actually breached the basic ethical standards of journalism - and that is to report the truth and not to defame.  This is basic journalism 101.  This is elementary.  Aside from the fact people should know this through common sense, this is taught at universities.  I know this because I learned it while I was studying media and politics.  When I did my post graduate study I then had to do an entire paper on journalism ethics.  If someone had done even HALF of what Slater and Glucina, and god knows who else had done they would be sacked based on the basic standards of journalism.  Just look at the situation in England involving former Australian 2Day FM radio announcer Mel Geig, she has been forced to answer questions at a Scotland Yard inquiry regarding the death of Jacinth Saldhana in December 2011 when she and co host Michael Christian pranked King Edward Hospital to get information on Kate's pregnancy.

It's bad enough to think that organisations are cutting their news staff, as a journalist I find that bad enough, but it's even worse to think that those with the full time jobs are outright lying, committing the crime of unlawfully obtaining information, working with criminals and breaching standards of journalism.  Slater was deemed a journalist this week but the purpose of his blog is solely to defame.  A journalist knows you cannot defame, that if you defame it is your neck and entire career on the line.

The fact that Slater is working closely with the NZ Herald and TV3 owned by Mediaworks, and suggested lying to them means that there needs to be an independent inquiry into the operations of the New Zealand media because without one the lies, slander and defamation will continue.  Without one the unethical behaviour will continue and the truth will never come out.  It seems that those working in the NZ media have missed the point of what journalism is about - it's not about hurting your enemies.  It's about revealing the truth and if that takes a longer time to do so then it's better that the truth comes out rather than being fed a pack of lies.

Furthermore, maybe it's now time to look at registrations for journalists - nurses have to have them, even bartenders have to have them.  Is it time that we introduced registrations in NZ and Australia to distinguish between journalists and bloggers?  The NZ media owes the public an explanation for their outright lies and journalism ethical breaches.