I might not be able to define "journalist" to the satisfaction of a Constitutional lawyer ...

[Scuba]

... but I damn well know what suppression of dissent is.

[RC]

1. I am having a problem separating out Journalist and Writer.

Writers can be journalists, just as Journalist can be writers. Yeah, I know they are defined differently, writers can be and are assigned to gather information at news worthy events. Both Journalists and writers can have their own syndicated columns and even their own web sites, where either can write about most anything.
I am having that feeling again, that DU is being suckered into hair splitting, where there should be none. Another shade of divide and conquer, and we are swallowing the bait.