{"id":73651,"date":"2020-03-23T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/?p=73651"},"modified":"2020-03-23T10:01:28","modified_gmt":"2020-03-23T15:01:28","slug":"some-animals-are-more-equal-than-others-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/?p=73651","title":{"rendered":"Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

During last Fridays press conference with Gov. Walz, the prospect of a statewide “Shelter In Place” order, rumors of which have been percolating for a while, got broached. The concept of “essential workers” – people who are <\/em>allowed out and about without getting hassled – got broached. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some were obvious – first responders, healthcare workers, people who work in grocery stores, pharmacies, in the supply chain, and similar businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the reporters asked “and journalists?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Of course”, Walz responded, to a smattering of clubby chuckles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the questions keep popping up, especially on journos social media: they see themselves as genuinely essential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s ignore whether journalism is what journalists say it is, anymore – more on that in a piece coming up tomorrow morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The extent to which journos seem to need to think of themselves as class above and beyond the proles strikes me as a little unseemly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you hear journalists scrambling to get themselves counted as “essential” workers, rather than mere lumpen proles, what jumps to mind?<\/p>\u2014 Mitch “Socially Distant” Berg (@mitchpberg) March 23, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>