What sets journalism apart from the reporting done by influencers, commentators, pundits and PR professionals is not a journalism degree from a fancy university. It is not a better understanding of ethics, style and sourcing, or a public promise to always be fair. What makes journalism different is more about how it happens—and the systems that can do what a single reporter or writer cannot.
Late last month, some of the most powerful men and women in real estate sat down in a Chicago courtroom to testify as part of a case that might become another truly landmark moment for the industry, on-par with the verdict in the Burnett case. A lot of sworn testimony and documents were presented, with both sides presenting conflicting accounts of what is happening—and why.
Federal courtrooms as a rule are open to the public—anyone with the means could have attended, and anyone with the time and patience could (and still can) read through the verbatim transcript that captured most of what happened over the course of about 15 hours in the confines of that room. You might even be able to get a hold of one of the executives, and get a couple of your own questions answered. Access in this situation is not the issue.
But for anyone whose lives and businesses preclude attending a two-day court hearing in person, there are others who seek to describe what happened, and how it might affect them or their businesses. For decades, media organizations competed to earn the trust—and thereby subscriptions dollars—of an audience. But over the past several years, people have more and more often relied on outsiders who offered the same access or information, often delivered with more personality, flair and speed.
These “influencers,” who go by many names, should not be equated with journalists (even the ones who call themselves journalists). That is not to say they are somehow not as capable, talented or even as committed to objectivity as a person who went to journalism school, or who works at a media company or newspaper. The distinction is not that one individual is more worthy or capable than the other. It is not that one has committed to objectivity and the other has not, or that one is educated on ethical reporting and the other is ignorant, or that one is always accurate and the other makes mistakes.
What sets a piece of journalism apart is what happens between when a writer puts pen-to-page, and when you read about how a multi-billion-dollar company’s executive spoke in sworn testimony. Our coverage of the Chicago hearing was not just one reporter’s observations, interviews, on-background sources and knowledge. Rather, it was the combined effort of more than half a dozen men and women who have covered the industry for decades, who have distinct roles, knowledge, priorities and skillsets—all with some level of accountability to an audience, to a publisher, to each other. All have a common goal—informing real estate professionals—but all have different roles and methods in helping reach that goal. Combining the efforts of many dedicated people is what produces a piece of journalism, something that goes through round after round of discussion, editing and revising to ensure the story is fairly representing events, people and context.
Our process is far from perfect and is always being improved. But when companies wield the kind of power on display in Chicago, this journalistic, collaborative effort becomes vital. It may or may not surprise you to know that entities like Compass and Zillow spend tremendous effort and energy, involving multiple C-suite positions, to tweak a few words of a blog post or press release, because they appreciate how powerful the seemingly minor differences in language can be in influencing decisions and opinions. As journalists, we understand that power, but we focus our efforts on making sure our language remains fair, accurate and as complete as time allows, and specifically does not favor any narrative unsupported by the facts.
In this age of rampant industry disruption, with information and opinions as plentiful and accessible as they have ever been, it becomes much more important to ask who is shaping the story you are being told, and how. It is easy to claim that you are not letting a billion-dollar company influence your account of a complicated event or issue. Journalism is when you actually prepare, build systems and put the work in to tell a story your audience needs to know, rather than what some people in the industry want you to know.
