I Am Not A Journalist—Nor Am I A Red-Tailed Hawk

An Austin-based blogger who goes by the name Mean Rachel, recently asked if Texas progressive bloggers should have taken a free steak dinner from Texas U.S. Senate candidate John Sharp. (I was not at this dinner.)

(My friend Perry at Brains & Eggs also wrote about this matter. As did the great blogger Jobsanger in Amarillo)

Here are my views on the question—

If a blogger wishes to be seen as a journalist, he or she should not take such a dinner. You should pay your own way. I don’t think the bloggers who took the meal are bought off. But if you see yourself as a journalist, you should adhere to the standards of journalism.

If a blogger does not aim to be viewed as a journalist, then you can take such a dinner.

I am not a journalist. I have an obligation to tell the truth where facts are involved—unless I’m making an effort at satire— and that’s it. Maybe I’m a member of the media by some definition. But I’m an ideologue–more so than a partisan of a party— and I’m not obligated to offer the other side of questions I may address in this blog.

The blog reading public can take or leave my efforts.

If John Sharp were dumb enough to offer me a free dinner, I would take it. If I blogged about it I would mention that he picked up the tab.  I would feel no obligation to say anything nice about him. He’s a politician and he uses people to get what he wants. 

In addition to not being a journalist, I am also not a red-tailed hawk. (photo below.)

The Red-Tailed Hawk is the most common hawk in North America. Here is some good information about this creature. You see in the picture that this bird does not wait for someone to come along and buy it dinner. It catches most of its food by perching from a high point and waiting to swoop down. I get most of my food by perching myself in my car at the drive-up window.

There you have it. I’m neither a journalist or a hawk.