More Reporting, and Less Journalism, please

Adrian Woolridge's review of Glenn Reynolds' book contains this intriguing phrase "they [bloggers] have demonstrated, beyond doubt, that journalism is an activity, not a profession."

I've been interested in the term "journalism" lately and the way it seems to be used by reporters to give themselves an air of professionalism. But what is the meaning of those two words?

A journal is a daily record of events, usually kept by a single person with his reactions and opinions on what has happened. It's another word for a diary. The word "report" shifts the focus away from the writer's point of view to the reader's needs, from subjective to objective, from feelings to facts.

The rise of journalism in the place of reporting may make the paper or magazine more fun to read, but less valuable as a source for the public to form its own opinions.