You will miss sunrise, if you close your eyes

You are the future of journalism.

That's right, take a moment to have a good look at yourself, hunched over your keyboard, your empty cereal bowl at your side, wondering if you can get away with another day's wear from those pants. No? Okay, just me then.

But anyway, look at yourself, because you are where it's at. In the words of that modern master of poetry Bryan Adams 'Everything we do, we do it for you'. So what better way to please you than to let you in on the news?

Online news is all about interactivity. The ability of readers to add their comments to a piece allows it to grow and expand in all variety of ways, for the whole worlds to see. And further than that we now ask you to send us pictures, videos and songs. The news is yours to own and shape, but are you up to it?

In case you're worried I have compiled this simple quiz to help you answer the burning question:

ARE YOU A JOURNALIST?

1) How do you dress?

a) In a grey mac and fedora, with a little 'press' card tucked in your hat band.
b) Smartly, shirt and tie, suit jacket when required.
c) I am in every piece of clothing all the time.
d) Always naked.

2) You witness a car crash, what do you do?

a) Quickly whip out a camera and take pictures of the injured parties then try to force your way into the ambulance to get quotes.
b) Call 999 then see if you can help. When everyone is out of danger talk to witnesses and get their numbers for later.
c) I see everything, this holds as much interest to me as a fly stuck in jam.
d) Carry on chewing, stare blankly as the emergency services arrive.

3) You have to knock on the door of a family who recently lost their teenage son. The mother says she doesn't want to talk about it and is about to close the door. What do you do?

a) Shove your foot in the door and tell her you won't leave until she talks to you. Offer her a load of cash, because that makes up for a dead son.
b) Tell her you understand, give her your card and say that if she ever does want to do a tribute to her son you will be happy to help, then walk away.
c) Smite her.
d) Panic, kick the door down, run through the house into the back garden and churn up the lawn.

4) Police are hunting a serial killer on your patch, how do you approach the story?

a) The killer rings you with enigmatic clues which you refuse to pass onto the police for the sake of getting a scoop. You end up hunting down the murderer to an abandoned warehouse where you kill him yourself in a dramatic standoff.
b) Work with the police to put out descriptions of the hunted man, put out appeals with victims' families and follow the trial when he is eventually caught.
c) You know who the murderer is, but it is his free will to kill, so you don't interfere.
d) You sit down - it looks like rain.

5) You are sent photos of a top celebrity caught having sex with a cow. The celebrities agent rings up saying their client is suicidal and will kill himself if you run the story. What do you do?

a) Splash the pictures all over the front page - the suicide will make a nice follow-up story.
b) Agree not to publish the pictures but ask the agent for exclusive interviewing rights in return.
c) You knew about it already - you see all.
d) You feel funny and you can't sit down any more.

6) You suspect your local mayor is an international drug dealer. What do you do?

a) Your paper funds you to follow the mayor around the world, where you stay in the best hotels, gathering evidence. Eventually he realises you are on his tail and you get embroiled in a savage gun battle at the dock of a Colombian drug-dealers hideout. You escape by leaping into the water as conveniently placed barrels of fuel explode around you.
b) You gather as much evidence as possible from your office and take it to the police, asking for exclusive inside information on the story as a reward for your help.
c) You unleash a series of plagues upon the town, including a rain of badgers, little mould patches on all the bread and the disappearance of everyone's left shoe.
d) You follow your brothers happily into the back of the truck driven by the nice man in the white hat and apron. You wonder where you're going - on a nice adventure perhaps? Or to the seaside?

So, how did you do? Check your answers below to find out:

Mostly As - you are Hollywood's unbelievably ridiculous portrayal of a journalist. You wouldn't last five minutes in the real world of reporting, you're probably better off going in search of the lost island of dinosaurs.

Mostly Bs - Congratulations! You are well on your way to becoming a real journalist. Now you just need to develop a healthy aversion to money.

Mostly Cs - You are God. Please don't smite me, I've been good (that doesn't count - I had had a long day and that tree has been threatening to fall over for months, how was I supposed to know about the flamingo enclosure?).

Mostly Ds - You are a cow. Admittedly a very intelligent cow who can somehow read, has wi-fi access and can operate a keyboard and mouse with hooves. But you are a cow nonetheless and unfortunately there's not many openings for farmyard animals in print journalism, try television.

Mostly Es - You've been doing the wrong quiz. Even the cow was more intelligent than you.