Thomas Paine, America's First Blogger — Was He a 'Journalist?'

According to a New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Judge, Bloggers are not considered journalists in the eyes of American jurisprudence. In his decision, Judge Anthony J. Parrillo wrote:

There is, of necessity, a distinction between, on the one hand, personal diaries, opinions, impressions and expressive writing and, on the other hand, news reporting.

By this definition, Thomas Paine, Father of the American Revolution, was not practicing journalism when he printed Common Sense.

Thomas Paine, often held up as America’s first journalist, was really just a blogger using parchment and a printing press instead of a laptop and broadband connection.

Read Common Sense, the tract that is credited with inspiring the American Revolution:

These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

Paine is not “reporting the news” in Common Sense. No, Common Sense is the epitome of “personal diaries, opinions, impressions and expressive writing;” the very criteria Judge Parrillo uses to distinguish between journalism and mere blogging.

So, by this definition, it is safe to say that Thomas Paine is not considered a journalist, but Helen Thomas is?

If this is the case, I’m happy to be excluded from the journalism club. I’ll take my seat right over here with my fellow blogger, Thomas Paine.