Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on events, facts, ideas, and people that constitute the "news of the day" and inform society with a commitment to accuracy and verification. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (professional or not), the methods of gathering information, and the organizing literary styles.
The role of journalism varies across countries, as do perceptions of the profession and its status. In some nations, news media are controlled by the government and lack independence."10 Most Censored Countries," Committee to Protect Journalists, 2 May 2012, page retrieved 23 May 2013. In others, news media operate independently of government influence and function as private enterprises. Legal frameworks also differ, particularly regarding freedom of speech, freedom of the press, slander, and libel. Scholars have also examined journalism’s role in globalization, highlighting its contribution to increasing global interconnectedness.
The rise of the internet and digital media has significantly changed how people access and consume information, with a growing preference for online sources. In some regions, this shift has contributed to the decline or disappearance of traditional print newspapers. The widespread use of the internet and smartphones has transformed the media landscape since the early 21st century, with audiences increasingly accessing news through e-readers, mobile devices, and digital platforms rather than traditional formats such as newspapers, magazines, or television news. News organizations face ongoing challenges in monetizing digital content and adapting print models to evolving consumption patterns. As a result, print revenues have declined more rapidly than digital income streams have grown.
Production Journalistic conventions vary by country. In the United States, journalism is produced by media organizations or by individuals. Bloggers are often regarded as journalists. The Federal Trade Commission requires that bloggers who write about products received as promotional gifts disclose that they received the products for free. This is intended to eliminate conflicts of interest and protect consumers.
In the US, many credible news organizations are incorporated entities, have editorial boards, and maintain separate editorial and advertising departments. Many credible news organizations, or their employees, often belong to and abide by the ethics of professional organizations such as the American Society of News Editors, the Society of Professional Journalists, Investigative Reporters & Editors, Inc., or the Online News Association. Many news organizations also have their own codes of ethics that guide journalists' professional publications.
When crafting news stories, regardless of the medium, fairness and media bias are concerns for journalists. Some stories are intended to represent the author's own opinion; others are more neutral or feature balanced points of view. For instance, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), there are 8,469 journalists in Australia, including editors and those working in radio, television, and print. Research reveals that considering where journalists actually live gives insight into which communities have their stories told firsthand, while others are told by outsiders.
In a traditional print newspaper and its online version, information is organized into sections. This makes clear the distinction between content based on fact and on opinion. In other media, many of these distinctions break down. Readers should pay careful attention to headings and other design elements to ensure that they understand the journalist's intent. Opinion pieces are generally written by regular columnists or appear in a section titled "Op-ed"; these reflect a journalist's own opinions and ideology. While feature stories, breaking news, and hard news stories typically make efforts to remove opinion from the copy.
According to Robert McChesney, healthy journalism in a democratic country must provide an opinion of people in power and those who wish to be in power, must include a range of opinions and must regard the informational needs of all people.
Many debates center on whether journalism ethics require journalists to be objective and neutral. Arguments include the fact that journalists produce news within a particular social context and that they are guided by professional codes of ethics and strive to represent all legitimate points of view. Additionally, the ability to render a subject's complex and fluid narrative with sufficient accuracy is sometimes challenged by the time available to spend with subjects, the affordances or constraints of the medium used to tell the story, and the evolving nature of people's identities.
Forms
There are several forms of journalism with diverse audiences. Journalism is said to serve the role of a "fourth estate", acting as a watchdog on the workings of the government. A single publication (such as a newspaper) contains many forms of journalism, each of which may be presented in different formats. Each section of a newspaper, magazine, or website may cater to a different audience.
Some forms include:
Access journalism – journalists who self-censor and voluntarily cease speaking about issues that might embarrass their hosts, guests, or powerful politicians or businesspersons. Advocacy journalism – writing to advocate particular viewpoints or influence the opinions of the audience. Broadcast journalism – written or spoken journalism for radio or television
Business journalism – tracks, records, analyzes and interprets the business, economic and financial activities and changes that take place in societies. Citizen journalism – participatory journalism. Data journalism – the practice of finding stories in numbers and using numbers to tell stories. Data journalists may use data to support their reporting. They may also report about uses and misuses of data. The American news organization ProPublica is known as a pioneer of data journalism. Drone journalism – use of drones to capture journalistic footage. Global journalism – journalism that encompasses a global outlook focusing on intercontinental issues. Gonzo journalism – first championed by Hunter S. Thompson, gonzo journalism is a "highly personal style of reporting". Interactive journalism – a type of online journalism that is presented on the web Investigative journalism – in-depth reporting that uncovers social problems. Long-form journalism – journalism aimed at producing works that capture the reader's attention for an extended period of time Photojournalism – the practice of telling true stories through images Political journalism – coverage of all aspects of politics and political science Science journalism - conveys reporting about science to the public Sensor journalism – the use of sensors to support journalistic inquiry Sports journalism – writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions Student journalism – the practice of journalism by students at an educational institution, often covering topics particularly relevant to the student body Tabloid journalism – writing that is light-hearted and entertaining. Considered less legitimate than mainstream journalism. Visual journalism – data such as maps, infographics, data visualization, tables, charts, diagrams, and video. War journalism – the covering of wars and armed conflicts Yellow journalism (or sensationalism) – writing which emphasizes exaggerated claims or rumors.
Social media The rise of social media has drastically changed the nature of journalistic reporting, giving rise to so-called citizen journalists. In a 2014 study of journalists in the United States, 40% of participants claimed they rely on social media as a source, with over 20% depending on microblogs to collect facts. From this, the conclusion can be drawn that breaking news nowadays often stems from user-generated content, including videos and pictures posted online in social media. However, though 69.2% of the surveyed journalists agreed that social media allowed them to connect to their audience, only 30% thought it had a positive influence on news credibility. In addition to this, a 2021 study done by Pew Research Center shows that 86% of Americans are getting their news from digital devices.
Consequently, this has led to arguments for reconsidering journalism as a process distributed among many authors, including the socially mediating public, rather than as individual products and articles written by dedicated journalists.
Because of these changes, the credibility ratings of news outlets have reached an all-time low. A 2014 study revealed that only 22% of Americans reported a "great deal" or "quite a lot of confidence" in either television news or newspapers.
Fake news
"Fake news" is deliberately untruthful information that often spreads quickly on social media or through fake news websites.
It is often published to intentionally mislead readers, ultimately benefiting a cause, organization or individual. A glaring example was the proliferation of fake news on social media during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Conspiracy theories, hoaxes, and lies have been circulated under the guise of news reports to benefit specific candidates. One example is a fabricated report of Hillary Clinton's email which was published by a non-existent newspaper called The Denver Guardian. Many critics blamed Facebook for the spread of such material. Its news feed algorithm, in particular, was identified by Vox as the platform where the social media giant exercises billions of editorial decisions every day. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and TikTok are distributors of disinformation or "fake news". Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, has acknowledged the company's role in this problem: in a testimony before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing on 20 April 2018, he said:It's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well. That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy.Readers can often evaluate credibility of news by examining the credibility of the underlying news organization.
The phrase was popularized by Donald Trump during his presidential campaign to discredit what he perceived as negative news coverage of his candidacy and, later, his presidency.
In some countries, including Turkey, Egypt, India, Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Somalia journalists have been threatened or arrested for allegedly spreading fake news about the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 4 March 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill introducing prison sentences of up to 15 years for those who publish "knowingly false information" about the Russian armed forces and their operations, leading to some media outlets in Russia to stop reporting on Ukraine or shut down their media outlet. As of December 2022, more than 4,000 people were prosecuted under "fake news" laws in connection with the Russo-Ukrainian war. At least 1,000 Russian journalists have fled Russia since February 2022.
History
Antiquity