Another possibility is that the prosecutor didn't consider it relevant to the case whether Goodman was a journalist or not, but chose to answer the question anyway. E.g. the quote "I think she put together a piece to influence the world on her agenda, basically. That’s fine, but it doesn’t immunize her from the laws of her state" in no way implies that her actions would have been legal if she were a journalist.

It is the article that asserts that "arresting a working journalist" requires a special explanation.