Amateur journalism came into my awareness through reading about Lovecraft. My impression is that people engaged in journalism for various hobby/interest groups, clubs through at least the 1920s and considered themselves amateurs in the sense of practice for the love of the activity itself. I can see a similar strand in 'zines and later web logs and blogs.
A rather older sense of "profession" (maybe concurrent with people calling themselves amateur journalists) meant any job which entailed a primary responsibility to the public, like a doctor, a lawyer, or a journalist. Unlike the other professions, one didn't need any educational credentials, bonding or special license to be a journalist.
Journalism is unique among the professions: in at least some sense of the word, if one considers oneself a journalist, one is a journalist.
A rather older sense of "profession" (maybe concurrent with people calling themselves amateur journalists) meant any job which entailed a primary responsibility to the public, like a doctor, a lawyer, or a journalist. Unlike the other professions, one didn't need any educational credentials, bonding or special license to be a journalist.
Journalism is unique among the professions: in at least some sense of the word, if one considers oneself a journalist, one is a journalist.