Is there a difference between a journalist and a historian? (1 Viewer)

[girlanachronism]

Hey, I'm just starting the course and the event I want to do my project on occurred 32 years ago, so it's still fairly recent. However, much of the material on it has been written by journos. Does this mean it's not relevant as a source, or can I still look at them from a historiographical perspective?

Thanks. : ) Good luck on Friday!

 

[Ziff]

There's an enormous amount of overlap between what the definition of a historian is and what the role of a historian is. If you integrate this sort of thing into your answer and acknowledge or write about the wide ranging role of a historian then you will gain marks for it. Remember, Thucydides' work can be seen as either a source - in which case he is a journo - or as a text - in which case he is an historian. Today, however, the role is really very blurred, because they could be writing a primary source the next day, but, maybe a few years down the track they will write a text (secondary source) about the event and include their own interpretations, opinions, and so on. In such a case you can also comment about the all important impact of context and perhaps how it differs to a history of the event published by a university academic.

 

[ujuphleg]

I would advise that while you site important pieces of information from the journos, you keep in mind the point that they are journalists.

Perhaps this could even be the premise of your work: The role of a journalist as a historian in relation to your work. Remember, historiography means you are analysing the historians and the perspectives to which the historian writes. If most of the information on this topic is journalistic and hence, the view commonly held is journalistic and perhaps clashes with the truth, then you may be onto a winner.

May i ask what your topic is?

 

[girlanachronism]

Thanks both of you, that's really helpful. I'll sit down with my teacher as well.

I want to do something on Sunday Bloody Sunday, when the police shot and killed a number of peaceful protestors in Northern Ireland in 1972

 

[ujuphleg]

How much is written about it by known historians?

 

[girlanachronism]

I'm not sure, that's what I'm looking for.

My main problem is that a lot of stuff is pretty journalistic, although I do have stuff like the Widgery Report which is a primary source

 

[ujuphleg]

Talk to your teacher and get back to us, i reckon thats the best bet