"Credentials" for journalists.

There was a cyber meeting last evening, of cyber journalists to explore the possibility of forming some kind of "association" with at least two tentative goals; providing some sort of recognition of our accomplishments as journalists, and to provide "credentialing" for members.

On the issue of credentials, I have mixed feelings.

On the one hand, it might be useful to have something to
hand to one of thugs who persistently ask for "credentials"
before allowing members of a free press to do their thing.

On the other hand, creating credentials at all, reinforces the misconception that the founding fathers, when they were writing the first amendment to the constitution, provided protection for the rights of members of a free press, but only if they had some piece of paper, badge, trinket, talisman, or secret handshake that must be learned, before, and in order to, exercise a constitutionally protected human right.

A premise with which,
I thoroughly
and heartily
disagree.