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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
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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.
Web
resources:
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