LOGO
Journalism
Dr. R. Soundararajan
[email protected]
Contents
Role of Journalists
Press Laws
Ethics of Reporting
Editorials
Columnists
Jokes on Journalism
Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating and
presenting news and information
What makes journalism different than other form of
communication?
- The world, esp. the online world is awash in communication
- The vast majority of this communication, however, is not
news and especially not journalism.
- According to web security company SYMANTAC:
Almost 70 per cent of email traffic is spam (unsolicited).
In 2018, there is an average of 275 million tweets each day.
But 99% — consisted of “pointless babble,”
While journalism occupies a much smaller space
than the talk, entertainment, opinion, assertion,
advertising and propaganda that dominate the media
universe, it is nevertheless perceived as being more
valuable than most of the “stuff out there.”
That value flows from its purpose, to provide people
with verified information they can use to make better
decisions, and its practices, the most important of
which is a systematic process – a discipline of
verification – that journalists use to find not just the
facts, but also the “truth about the facts.”
Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating and
presenting news and information
What makes journalism different than other form of
communication?
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What is the purpose of Journalism?
The function news plays in the lives of people.
News is that part of communication that keeps
us informed of the changing events, issues,
and characters in the world outside. Though it
may be interesting or even entertaining, the
foremost value of news is as a utility to
empower the informed.
The purpose of journalism is thus to provide
citizens with the information they need to make
the best possible decisions about their lives,
their communities, their societies, and their
governments.
The Elements of Journalism
1. Reliable,
accurate facts
and meaningful
context 4. Trust earned
TRUTH
LOYALTY and nutured
e
DISCIPLINE
5. From
2. Verifying CRITICISM democratic
information & societies
COMPROMISE
3. Cornerstone
of reliability
LIBERTY
The Elements of Journalism
6. Story telling
with purpose INTERESTING
&
RELEVANT
e
COMPREHENSIVE
7. Avoid
inflation and
& negation
PROPORTIONAL
Elements
Journalism does not
Good decision-making pursue truth in an
Journalism’s depends on people absolute or
first obligation having reliable, philosophical sense,
is to the truth accurate facts put in a but in a capacity that
meaningful context. is more down to earth.
Its first Technology may
– when earned and
nurtured – will endure.
loyalty is to change but trust
citizens
Journalists rely on a professional discipline for
Its essence verifying information.
Being impartial or neutral is not a core principal
is a of journalism. Because the journalist must make
discipline of decisions, he or she is not and cannot be
verification objective. But journalistic methods are
objective.
Elements
Independence is a cornerstone of reliability.
Its On one level, it means not becoming seduced
practitioners by sources, intimidated by power, or
must maintain compromised by self-interest. On a deeper level
an it speaks to an independence of spirit and an
open-mindedness and intellectual curiosity that
independence
helps the journalist see beyond his or her own
from those class or economic status, race, ethnicity,
they cover religion, gender or ego.
It must The news media are common carriers
provide a of public discussion, and this
forum for responsibility forms a basis for special
public privileges that news and information
criticism and providers receive from democratic
compromise societies.
Journalism is storytelling with a purpose. It
Elements should do more than gather an audience or
catalogue the important. It must balance
It must strive what readers know they want with what they
to keep the cannot anticipate but need.
significant Quality is measured both by how much a
interesting work engages its audience and enlightens it.
and relevant This means journalists must continually ask
what information has the most value to
citizens and in what form people are most
likely to assimilate it.
Inflating events for sensation,
neglecting others, stereotyping, or
being disproportionately negative all
It must keep
make a less reliable map. The most
the news
comprehensive maps include all
comprehensive
Elements affected communities, not just those
and
with attractive demographics. The
proportional
most complete stories take into
account diverse backgrounds and
perspectives.
Who is a Journalist?
Asking who is a journalist is the wrong question, because
1 journalism can be produced by anyone.
Journalists work in many areas of life, finding and presenting
2 information, however, journalists as those who present that
information as news to the audiences of newspapers, magazines,
radio or television stations or via the Internet.
Within these different media, there are specialist tasks for
3 journalists.
In large organisations, the journalists may specialise in
only one task.
In small organisations, each journalist may have to do
many different tasks
Reporters
Gather information and present it in a written or spoken form in news stories, feature
articles or documentaries.
Reporters may work on the staff of news organisations, but may also work freelance,
writing stories for whoever pays them.
General reporters cover all sorts of news stories, but some journalists specialise in
certain areas such as reporting sport, politics or agriculture.
Sub-editors
Take the stories written by reporters and put them into a form which suits the special
needs of their particular newspaper, magazine, bulletin or web page.
Sub-editors do not usually gather information themselves. Their job is to concentrate
on how the story can best be presented to their audience. They are often called subs.
The person in charge of them is called the chief sub-editor, usually shortened to chief
sub.
Photo-journalists
Use photographs to tell the news. They either cover events with a reporter, taking
photographs to illustrate the written story, or attend news events on their own,
presenting both the pictures and a story or caption.
The editor
Usually the person who makes the final decision about what is included in
the newspaper, magazine or news bulletins. He or she is responsible for all
the content and all the journalists. Editors may have deputies and
assistants to help them.
The news editor
The person in charge of the news journalists. In small organisations, the news
editor may make all the decisions about what stories to cover and who will do the
work. In larger organisations, the news editor may have a deputy, often called the
chief of staff, whose special job is to assign reporters to the stories selected.
Feature writers
Work for newspapers and magazines, writing longer stories which usually give
background to the news The person in charge of features is usually called the
features editor. Larger presses may have specialist staff producing current affairs
programs - the broadcasting equivalent of the feature article. The person in charge
of producing a particular current affairs program is usually called the producer and
the person in charge of all the programs in that series is called the executive
producer or EP.
Specialist writers
May be employed to produce personal commentary columns or reviews of things
such as books, films, art or performances. They are usually selected for their
knowledge about certain subjects or their ability to write well. Again, small
organisations may use general reporters for some or all of these tasks.
There are many other jobs which can be done by journalists. It is a career
with many opportunities.
Why become a Journalist?
People enter journalism for a variety of reasons but, money apart, there are
four main motives:
Journalists are the major group of people in most
developing countries who make their living from writing.
ir te
w
to
Many young people who see themselves as
future novelists choose journalism as a way of
i re earning a living while developing their writing
s
de
skills.
he
T Although writing for newspapers and writing for
books require different qualities, the aspiration
to be a great writer is not one to be discouraged
in a would-be journalist.
Why become a Journalist?
Most people want their work to be recognised by others.
This helps to give it value. Some people also want to be
recognised themselves, so that they have status in the
n eyes of society.
ow
kn
be It is not a bad motive to wish to be famous, but
to
ire this must never become your main reason for
d es being a journalist.
T he
You will not be a good journalist if you care
more for impressing your audience than for
serving their needs.
Why become a Journalist?
Knowing the power of the printed or spoken word or image,
especially in rural areas, some people enter journalism for the
power it will give them to influence people.
e There is a strong belief that journalists control
n c the mass media but the best journalists
e
lf u recognise their role as servants of the people.
in
to o d There is a difference between the desire to
ire g o influence events for your own sake, and the desire
e s or
d f to do it for other people. You should never use
h e journalism for selfish ends, but you can use it to
T improve the life of other people - remembering
that they may not always agree with you on what
those improvements should be.
This idea of journalists defending the rights of
ordinary people is a common reason for young
people entering the profession.
Why become a Journalist?
Curiosity is a natural part of most people's characters
and a vital ingredient for any journalist.
Lots of young men and women enter the
d ge profession with the desire to know more about
le the world about them without needing to
o w specialise in limited fields of study.
k n
o r
f Most journalists tend to know a little bit about a
ire
d es lot of things, rather than a lot about one subject.
T he
Knowledge has many uses. Always bear in
mind that power can be used in a positive way,
to improve people's lives, or in a selfish way to
advance yourself.
Duties & Responsibilities of
Journalists
Journalists educate the public about events
and issues and how they affect their lives.
They spend much of their time interviewing
expert sources, searching public records and
other sources for information, and sometimes
visiting the scene where a crime or other
Reporting Duties
newsworthy occurrence took place.
Before journalists can write about a subject, they must first gather
information. They usually conduct several interviews with people involved
in or having knowledge of the subject. They may also go to the scene of
an event, such as a crime or an accident, to interview witnesses or law
enforcement officers and to document what they see. In addition, they
often search public records or other databases to find information and
statistics to back up their stories. Researching a story is often similar to
conducting an investigation, and journalists must sometimes ask difficult
questions. They may have to invest a lot of time tracking down
information and people relevant to the story.
Working With People
Even though a news article bears a single journalist's by-line, the process
requires significant collaboration. How good a journalist's story is often
depends on how adept he is at communicating and working with others.
For example, journalists take instruction from their editors regarding what
angle to approach when writing a story, how long the story should be and
whom to interview. They also need strong people and communication
skills so they can persuade sources to talk to them. Journalists frequently
approach people they don't know, whether when reporting from the scene
or calling to request an interview. If they're uncomfortable around
strangers, they'll make others uncomfortable as well, making it less likely
that people will want to be interviewed.
Legal Responsibilities
In addition to serving the public interest, journalists must also follow the
law, especially regarding the confidentiality and privacy of the people they
interview or write about. For example, while journalists often tape record
their interviews to ensure accuracy, federal and state laws generally make it
illegal to record a conversation without the permission of the other party. In
this case, journalists must tell their sources they're recording the interview
before it begins. Journalists must also understand the laws regarding libel
and invasion of privacy. If a journalist is careless when reporting criminal
allegations against a person, for example, he could face a defamation
lawsuit if the accusations are proved untrue.
Ethical Responsibilities
Some aspects of a journalist's job are not subject to any kind of law but
are just as important. Journalists must strive to present an accurate, well-
balanced explanation of the stories they cover. For example, they have an
obligation to present all sides of an issue, and to conduct extensive
research and talk to several sources knowledgeable about the subject. If
they present only popular opinion, or if they conduct minimal research
without fully exploring the subject, they don't give readers and viewers
the information they need to understand the implications of the event or
issue. Journalists must also be honest with the people they interview,
telling them before talking to them what the article is about and that they
plan to quote them in the piece.
Legal Responsibilities
In addition to serving the public interest, journalists must also follow the
law, especially regarding the confidentiality and privacy of the people they
interview or write about. For example, while journalists often tape record
their interviews to ensure accuracy, federal and state laws generally make it
illegal to record a conversation without the permission of the other party. In
this case, journalists must tell their sources they're recording the interview
before it begins. Journalists must also understand the laws regarding libel
and invasion of privacy. If a journalist is careless when reporting criminal
allegations against a person, for example, he could face a defamation
lawsuit if the accusations are proved untrue.
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Dr. R. Soundararajan
[email protected]
