Do You Qualify?   For Journalists

We asked ChatGPT4:  How does one validate is person is a professional journalist?

Validating if a person is a professional journalist can involve a combination of methods. Here are some steps you can take to verify their credibility:

• Check their portfolio: A professional journalist should have a portfolio or a collection of their published work. You can search for their articles, videos, or other media content to verify their past experiences and the quality of their work.

• Examine their credentials: Journalists may have degrees in journalism, mass communication, or related fields. Check if the person has attended an accredited institution and holds the necessary qualifications. Certifications from organizations like the Poynter Institute or the Society of Professional Journalists can also be an indicator of their professionalism.

• Look for a byline: A byline is a line in an article or news story that gives the author's name. Professional journalists usually have bylines in the publications where they contribute. Search for their bylines in reputable news outlets and publications.

• Research their employer: If the person claims to work for a media organization, verify the organization's credibility. Reputable news outlets typically have strict standards for their journalists and follow a code of ethics.

• Analyze their social media presence: Professional journalists often have social media profiles on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Look for their online presence, and check if their profiles are consistent with their claimed profession. Keep in mind that not all journalists will have a strong social media presence.

• Check references: If possible, contact people who have worked with the journalist to get insights into their work ethics and professionalism.

Assess their adherence to journalistic ethics: Professional journalists should abide by ethical guidelines, such as accuracy, impartiality, and accountability. Look for signs of these principles in their work.

Our policy for acceptance by The News Council is thus:

1. They have professional email that is associated with a website that is clearly a news organization.   For example:   JaneDoe@Name-of-Bona-Fide-News-org.com  Sorry we can't credential journalists who use free email services like:  @aol.com or @Outlook.com
2. There have published work on the internet that shows their byline.
3. They are member of one of the following journalist organizations:
   • AAJA: Asian American Journalists Association
   • AAN: ASSOCIATION OF ALTERNATIVE NEWSWEEKLIES
   • ACES: American Copy Editors Society
   • AEJMC: Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
   • AHCJ: Association of Health Care Journalists
   • AIFI: American Indian Film Institute
   • ALABAMA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • ALBERTA WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION
   • Alfred Smith Memorial Foundation
   • Alliance for Audited Media
   • ALLIED DAILY NEWSPAPERS OF WASHINGTON
   • AMEJA: Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association
   • American Association for the Advancement of Science
   • AMERICAN COURT & COMMERCIAL NEWSPAPERS INC.
   • AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEWS EDITORS
   • AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEWS EDITORS
   • AOJ: Association of Opinion Journalists
   • API: American Press Institute
   • APME: Associated Press Media Editors
   • APSE: Associated Press Sports Editors
   • ARIZONA NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION
   • ARKANSAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • ASBPE: American Society of Business Publication Editors
   • ASJA: American Society of Journalists & Authors
   • ASME: American Society of Magazine Editors
   • ASNE: American Society of Newspaper Editors
   • Association for Capitol Reporters and Editors
   • Association for Women Journalists â€" Chicago
   • Association of European Journalists
   • Association of Food Journalists
   • Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference
   • ATLANTIC COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION"
   • AWSM: Association for Women in Sports Media
   • BEA: Broadcast Education Association
   • Benton Foundation
   • CAJ: Canadian Association of Journalists
   • CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
   • Campaign Finance Information Center
   • CAR in Canada
   • Center for International Media Assistance
   • Center for Investigative Journalists {Mexico}
   • Center for Media and Democracy
   • CMA: College Media Advisors
   • CML: Center for Media Literacy
   • COLORADO PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • "Columbia University
   • Graduate School of Journalism"
   • CONNECTICUT DAILY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION
   • CPJ: Committee to Protect Journalists
   • Criminal Justice Journalists
   • CSPA: Columbia Scholastic Press Association
   • Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma
   • Editor & Publisher
   • Electronic Frontier Foundation
   • EWA: Education Writer's Association
   • FLORIDA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • Florida Press Club
   • Foreign Press Center
   • Free Press
   • Fund for Investigative Journalism
   • George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs
   • GEORGIA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • Global Investigative Journalism Network
   • Gridiron Club
   • HOOSIER STATE PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • House Periodical Press Gallery -
   • ICFJ: International Center for Journalists
   • IFJ: The International Federation of Journalists
   • ILLINOIS PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • IMA: Integrated Media Assoc.
   • iMediaEthics (aka stinkyjournalism.org)
   • Inland Press Association
   • INMA: International Newspaper Marketing Assoc.
   • Inter American Press Association
   • International Center for Journalists
   • International Journalists Network
   • INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF WEEKLY NEWSPAPER EDITORS
   • Investigative News Network
   • IOWA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
   • IRE: Investigative Reporters & Editors
   • IWMF: The International Women's Media Foundation
   • JAWS: Journalism & Women Symposium
   • JEA: Journalism Education Assoc.
   • J-Lab / American University School of Communication
   • Journalism Accelerator
   • Journalism Center on Children & Families
   • KANSAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • Keiki O Ka ʻĀina Family Learning Centers
   • KENTUCKY PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • Knight Digital Media Center â€" Online Journalism Review
   • Local Media Association
   • LOUISIANA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • MAINE PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • MASSACHUSETTS NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
   • Maynard Media
   • MDDC PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • Media Alliance
   • Media Democracy Project
   • Media Research Center
   • MediaBistro
   • Mega Conference (southeast newspaper executives
   • MICHIGAN PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • Military Reporters & Editors
   • MINNESOTA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
   • MISSISSIPPI PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • MISSOURI PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • MONTANA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
   • MPI: Mid-America Press Institute
   • NAA: Newspaper Association of America
   • NAAJA: National American Arab Journalists Association
   • NAB: National Association of Broadcasters
   • NABJ: National Association of Black Journalists
   • NAHJ: National Association of Hispanic Journalists
   • NAJA: Native American Journalists Assoc.
   • NAM: New America Media
   • NAMIC: National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications
   • National Association of Science Writers
   • National Center for Business Journalism
   • National Center on Disability and Journalism
   • National Federation of Press Women
   • NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION/COLUMBIA, MO.
   • National Press Club
   • National Press Foundation
   • National Public Radio
   • National Scholastic Press Association / Associated Collegiate Press
   • National Society of Newspaper Columnists
   • National Writers Union
   • Native Networks
   • Native Public Media
   • NEBRASKA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • New England Book Festival JM Northern Media LLC
   • NEW ENGLAND NEWSPAPER AND PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • NEW HAMPSHIRE PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • NEW JERSEY PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • NEW MEXICO PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • New York Association of Black Journalists
   • New York Media Festival
   • NEW YORK NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
   • NEW YORK PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • New York University Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
   • Newseum
   • NewsLab
   • NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION MANAGERS
   • NLGJA: National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association
   • NNA: National Newspaper Association
   • NNPA: National Newspaper Publisher Association
   • Non-Fiction Writers Conference
   • Nonfiction Authors Association
   • North American Agricultural Journalists
   • NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • NORTH DAKOTA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
   • Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism
   • NPC: National Press Club
   • NPPA: National Press Photographers Association
   • OHIO NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
   • OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • ONA: Online News Association
   • ONP: Online Publishers Assoc.
   • ONTARIO COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION
   • OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
   • Organization of News Ombudsmen.
   • PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
   • Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
   • Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society
   • PJnet: Public Journalism Network
   • Poynter Institute
   • PRNDI: Public Radio News Directors Incorporated
   • Project Censored
   • Project for Excellence in Journalism
   • ProPublica
   • QUEBEC COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION
   • Quill and Scroll Society
   • Reclaim the Media
   • Reports Lab
   • Reynolds Journalism Institute
   • RNA: Religion News Writers Association
   • RTNDA: Radio Television Digital News Association
   • SABEW: Society of American Business Editors and Writers
   • SAJA: South Asian Journalists Association
   • San Francisco Writers Conference
   • San Francisco Writers Conference
   • Santa Barbara Writers Conference
   • SASKATCHEWAN WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION
   • SEJ: Society of Environmental Journalists
   • SIPA: Specialized Information Publishers Association.
   • SND: Society for News Design
   • SNPA: Southern Newspaper Publishers Assoc.
   • Society for Features Journalism
   • SOUTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • SOUTH DAKOTA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
   • SPJ: Society of Professional Journalists
   • Student Press Law Center
   • Sundance Institute Native American Program
   • Sunlight Labs
   • Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
   • TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • TEXAS DAILY NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
   • TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • The Association for Women in Communications
   • The Independent Author Network
   • The Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University
   • The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
   • THE WOMEN'S MEDIA CENTER
   • The Working Reporter
   • U.S. SENATE PRESS GALLERY
   • UNITY Journalists for Diversity
   • University of California at Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
   • University of Missouri at Columbia School of Journalism
   • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism
   • University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication
   • UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • VERMONT PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • VIRGINIA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • WASHINGTON NEWS COUNCIL ·
   • WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
   • Washington Press Club Foundation
   • WEST VIRGINIA PRESS ASSOCIATION
   • White House Correspondents™ Association
   • WIMN: Women in Media & News
   • WISCONSIN NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
   • World Assoc. of Newspapers
   • World Press Institute
   • Writers' Guild of America
   • WYOMING PRESS ASSOCIATION

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