The problem is that these days, everyone has a different definition of "real journalist," and the group of people who fit that definition tend to be strongly correlated with the group of people who agree with the definer politically.
Indeed. I think the "real journalist" should be dropped: everyone needs to have the right and the protection to be able to do that job.
Then, the "real journalist" could be just a matter of having capability, devotion and determination, not a class of people with special status.
Unfortunately too much of "journalism" is nowadays just activism, using their position to try to influence others (end even shut down the voice of other people because they think this is even more effective influencing).
