Sunday, 15 March 2015

Journalism: Definition & Development





Subject: Mass-Media (Paper-15)
Study: M.A.
Roll No.: 25
Year: Sem - IV
Guided By: Mr. Parth Bhatt
Submitted to: Dept. of English
University: MKBU





Journalism: Definition
&
Development

Introduction:
            When a word JOURNALISM comes to a person very first question arises that what is actually this term journalism means and what it actually generate in human mind. At very first moment and in easy words we can say that Journalism means to provide news, to write reports and articles for newspapers, magazines and that kind of simple stuff but is a general definition in simple sense and words.
          But in academic world Journalism is gathering, processing, and dissemination of news and information related to the news to an audience. The word applies to both the method of inquiring for news and the literary style which is used to disseminate it.
Journalism: Definition
Let us first see, how some Dictionaries define JOURNALISM in words.
As per Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
*      The activity or job of collecting, writing, and editing news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio.
*      The collection and editing of news for presentation through the media.
*      The public press.
*      An academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news or the management of a news medium.
*      Writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine.
*      Writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation.
*    Writing designed to appeal to current popular taste or public interest.



As per Oxford Dictionary:
*      The activity or profession of writing for newspapers or magazines or of broadcasting news on radio or television.
As per Cambridge Dictionary:
*      The work of collecting, writing, and publishing news stories and articles in newspapers and magazines or broadcasting them on the radio and television.
As per Collins English Dictionary:
*      The profession or practice of reporting about, photographing, or editing news stories for one of the mass media.
*      Newspapers and magazines collectively; The press.
*      The material published in a newspaper, magazine, etc.: this is badly written journalism.
*      News reports presented factually without analysis.

So after analyzing these much definitions we can come to first that point that Media and Journalism is merely same things now days. These both words can use as synonyms. The media that journalism uses vary diversely and include: content published via newspapers and magazines (print), television and radio (broadcast), and their digital media versions — news websites and applications. It generally gives information about our society, surrounding and all other things which are going around us in positive or negative manner. It depends on viewer that in which manner he/she looks at the news. But it is also media’s point that how much weightage it put on any news because it is also part of journalism. In modern society, the news media is the chief purveyor of information and opinion about public affairs. Media is the key fact of 21st century because now 21st century is a century of rush and speed and now no one has time to wait till news came at one particular time once or twice in a day. So, now media and basic part of media, Journalism is most important part for media people that how can they provide very quickly to the audience, what they want in small amount of time while even working. So now Journalism is also a race which is quite difficult for journalists and chief editors and all other people who are connected with this field.
 Journalism, however, is not always confined to the news media or to news itself, as journalistic communication may find its way into broader forms of expression, including literature and cinema. This is a field which includes all the stuff in it. It generates news from every field from the society and even it covers entertainment and human emotions too. In some nations, the news media is controlled by government intervention, and is not a fully independent body. Media is like a main vain of any nation and so it is important that which point media raises more in any nation because it can create a huge impact on any nation because it can leads the whole country so some nation’s Government also interested in Media and so they have their own commands over it. Media means simple Journalism and it is under control of nation’s Government for the sake of nation.
 In a democratic society, however, access to free information plays a central role in creating a system of checks and balance, and in distributing power equally amongst governments, businesses, individuals, and other social entities. Access to verifiable information gathered by independent media sources, which adhere to journalistic standards, can also be of service to ordinary citizens, by empowering them with the tools they need in order to participate in the political process. The role and status of journalism, along with that of the mass media, has undergone profound changes over the last two decades with the advent of digital technology and publication of news on the Internet.
This has created a shift in the consumption of print media channels, as people increasingly consume news through e-­readers, smartphones, and other electronic devices, challenging news organizations to fully monetize their digital wing, as well as improvise on the context in which they publish news in print. Notably, in the American media landscape, newsrooms have reduced their staff and coverage as traditional media channels, such as television, grapple with declining audiences. For instance, between 2007 and 2012, CNN edited its story packages into nearly half of their original time length.
This compactness in coverage has been linked to broad audience attrition, as a large majority of respondents in recent studies show changing preferences in news consumption.
The digital era has also ushered in a new kind of journalism in which ordinary citizens play a greater role in the process of news making, with the rise of citizen journalism being possible through the Internet. Using video camera equipped smartphones, active citizens are now enabled to record footage of news events and upload them onto channels like YouTube, which is often discovered and used by mainstream news media outlets. Meanwhile, easy access to news from a variety of online sources, like blogs and other social media, has resulted in readers being able to pick from a wider choice of official and unofficial sources, instead of only from traditional media organizations.
Journalism: Development
Today development journalism looks at conditions in developing states and how to improve them. It exposes poverty worldwide and helps to research the causes, consequences and how to address poverty in developing nations. Journalists often travel to remote areas in developing countries and report on the major issues at local level. They are often the first to highlight to the outside world the poor health and sanitary conditions and lack of basic education. In turn, they encourage co­operation between citizens and governments from their home countries and the nation in need. Development journalists bring attention to issues that are overlooked or under­represented by other media and by the international political community. As investigative reporters, they uncover the stories within the stories, revealing the multi­faceted nature of poverty. The United Nations Millennium Goals (MDGs), aimed at reducing poverty and hunger worldwide, are due for revision in 2015. In the process of examining the practical implications and feasibility of the goals, journalists remain of crucial importance. Through development journalism, they can perform their role as the Fourth Estate and hold governments accountable for delivering on their promises to meet the goals and lay bare the reality of development aid. In times of shrinking newsrooms and slashed budgets for in-depth reporting, however, development journalism seems to be at risk. News outlets increasingly resort to ‘parachute journalism’: foreign correspondents are parachuted into an area with little background information about its political and cultural landscape. Thrusting journalists into an unfamiliar area can potentially be dangerous, because contextual issues are often ignored and journalists lack proper contacts.
 A feature on development journalism may cover the following issues: economic development, agriculture and food security, health, sanitation and medicine, employment, education and literacy, informational technologies development, housing conditions, environmental sustainability, urban and rural development, gender equality, etc. Its main actors are ordinary people rather than official figures; its emphasis is on stability, partnership, harmony, and consensus. At the same time, there are insufficient studies and limited research on the principles and practices of development journalism, as well as a lack of clearly defined development journalism indicators. These journalists are sometimes accused of being too political; but the main criticism is that there are too few of them to cover all the various development issues around the globe. Some say that journalism of this sort can provide a new angle to a story and pinpoint exactly what the target audience is interested in. But the reality is that background research and independent investigation are necessary for understanding complex, interconnected and on-going problems outside the Western world. In times of financial stress across media organizations, development journalism has been put in second place.
The term “development journalism” is used to refer to two different types of journalism. The first is a new school of journalism that began to appear in the 1960s. The idea behind it is similar to investigative reporting, but it focuses on conditions in developing nations and ways to improve them. The other type of involves heavy influence from the government of the nation involved. While this sort can be a powerful tool for local education and empowerment, it can also be a means of suppressing information and restricting journalists. The first type of development journalism attempts to document the conditions within a country so that the larger world can understand them. Journalists are encouraged to travel to remote areas, interact with the citizens of the country, and report back. It also looks at proposed government projects to improve conditions in the country, and analyzes whether or not they will be effective. Ultimately, the journalist may come up with proposed solutions and actions in the piece, suggesting ways in which they might be implemented. Often, this form of journalism encourages a cooperative effort between citizens of the nation and the outside world. The second type can walk a thin line. On the one hand, government participation in mass media can help get important information spread throughout the nation. Governments can help to educate their citizens and enlist cooperation on major development projects. A government can also use the idea of “development” to restrict freedom of speech for journalists, however. Journalists are told not to report on certain issues because it will impact the “development” of the nation in question, and therefore citizens are not actually being given access to the whole picture. As a tool for social justice, development journalism can be very valuable. By speaking for those who cannot, a journalist can inform the rest of the world about important issues within developing nations. Looking at the strengths and weaknesses of a country may also help identify ways in which the nation can be helped. This style of journalism is a tool for empowerment. When journalism is used as a propaganda tool, however, it can become very dangerous.
Many citizens are taught that the news is a reliable and useful source of information. For example, within a developing nation which has a corrupt government, journalistic exposes of the government are extremely important for reform. If journalists are not allowed to write about what is actually going on, the citizens are not well served. Several international press organizations release reviews every year which look at the freedom of press in individual nations in an attempt to bring freedom of the press to all countries for this very reason.
International development is a thriving, expanding sector. But it is still in its relative youth. For journalists, it can offer new frontiers, scattered with stories and the chance to chronicle real change. Since the end of the Second World War, international development has tied together the loose threads between policy, governance, health, education, poverty, gender equality, infrastructure, economics, human rights, and the environment. The term 'development journalism' was coined in the 1960s as media outlets in Asia and Africa responded to the influx of humanitarian agencies. Today, it is striking how under­reported development is by the national press, considering that the UK spent over £13 billion on international development in 2010, the most up­to­date figures available. As an emerging niche, development journalism promises all the rewards of reporting across borders. But unlike other forms of foreign reporting, it lends itself to a more lingering, in­depth analysis of complex issues affecting people worldwide. That might be the failure of public health information that has led to disabled children being outcast from their communities, the fatal silence around hidden abortions or the proud beginnings of an agricultural union. There are often breaking news situations, but what gives development journalism its edge are the quieter stories that can be heard after the conflict or crisis dies down and the cameras leave. NGOs and development agencies are valuable as sources for journalists. They are subjects, fixers and guides. Their trusted local networks of health workers, educators, specialists, decision makers, and community leaders can open door after door. They often have a bank of critical information and research available, which can be a gift for data journalists in particular. Collaboration between NGOs and the media is a matter of mutual aid. For many NGOs reliant on donations, being able to raise their public profile is essential. Others have a mandate for advocacy, or are actively trying to publicist a particular issue with the aim of influencing policy.

Conclusion:
         
          So basically the history of journalism, or the development of the gathering and transmitting of news, spans the growth of technology and trade, marked by the advent of specialized techniques for gathering and disseminating information on a regular basis that has caused, as one history of journalism surmises, the steady increase of "the scope of news available to us and the speed with which it is transmitted. Newspapers have always been the primary medium of journalists since 1700, with magazines added in the 18th century, radio and television in the 20th century, and the Internet in the 21st century.





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