Journalism

To define journalism, it is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information, and is essentially the product of all these activities. Journalism functions as a global network and works as a chain, connecting different newspapers, television channels, professional journalists and reports and finally, digital social media networks.

History:

The earliest known journalistic product was a news sheet which was circulated in ancient Rome, the Acta Diurnal, said to date from before 59 BCE. The Acta Diurnal recorded important daily events such as public speeches. It was published daily and hung in prominent places. Other historical examples exist from different parts of the world. In China during the Tang dynasty, a court circular called a bao, or “report,” was issued to government officials. This gazette appeared in various forms and under various names more or less continually to the end of the Qing dynasty in 1911.

The first  modern and regularly published and distributed newspapers appeared in German cities and in Antwerp, Belgium in about 1609. The first English newspaper, The Weekly News, was also published in 1622. One of the first daily newspapers, The Daily Courant, appeared in 1702.

Journalism as a profession:

Personally, I wanted and still wish to be part of this global network and so I pursued my bachelor’s degree in visual communication. The curriculum had many subjects, covering theoretical and practical matters which were very closely related to each other, but which had disparate perspectives. Content writing is one among them, in which the subject teaches students article writing, field research and theories of communication. There are different career options in terms to this field.  Starting from a reporter to chief editor.

                                                                                   Photo Credit : Journalist Stock Photos 123RF (Google Images)

Contemporary journalism during COVID-19:

The present situation is catastrophic, not just for journalism but for most industries, and this phenomenon affects the entire world. Most countries have imposed varying degrees of restrictions and many have had to stay in their homes. This has changed people’s everyday life habits, and many have turned their attention towards television, improving global viewership of many of news channels .

The rapid growth is due to the situation and people’s keenness to know about what is really happening in the world, as they have been isolated. With travel restricted, and social events almost totally stopped, individuals have become more interested in keeping up with news stories. This has somehow helped them feel more connected and socially active.

Technology and journalism:

We live in a digital world, where in everything has advanced in an intricate manner. You can now get the news in an instant manner. With this increased use of digital platforms, we can identify a number of advantages and disadvantages.

The positive aspects include the alternative digital form of printed journalism, which reducing the global consumption of paper. Another component is the immediacy of communication, in terms of news being received continuously and in real time, as well as the feasibility and ease of keeping in touch with friends and family. Digital platforms have improved employment opportunities for journalists, and have created a new field of digital journalism. Lastly, the technology has allowed remote work, creating new options for freelancers.

There are however, a number of negative elements associated with this. Perhaps the most significant one is the spread of fabricated content and new hoaxes. There has also been a rise in the dissemination of negative content and hate speech. This has increased because digital spaces are somehow less personal, and users feel they can spread hate speech without nay consequences and at a distance from the other. Digital platforms have increased paid subscription for some daily news features. Finally, it was created an overwhelming abundance in advertising and an overall news overload.

What does the future hold?

It’s a tough call to predict this since nobody really knows what will happen to our world tomorrow, due to the present condition and insecurity if the global pandemic.

There are five things worth noting in the future of journalism.

First, we have moved from a world where media organizations were gatekeepers to a world where media still create the news agenda, but platform companies control access to audiences. Second, this move to digital media and platforms generally does not generate filter bubbles but more diverse news diets. Third, journalism is often losing the battle for people’s attention and, in some countries, for the public’s trust. Fourth, the business models that fund news are challenged, weakening professional journalism and leaving news media more vulnerable to commercial and political external pressures. Fifth, news is more diverse than ever, and the best journalism in many cases has been better than earlier, reporting on everyone from the most powerful politicians to the biggest private companies.

To conclude and sum it all in a proper manner, journalism has deeply evolved since its early days. With the global technology revolution, it has become even more unrecognizable, transforming with the digital age. Things have been facilitated, but others have faced many challenges. Nonetheless, digital journalism has opened a wide door for creative and critical work in the future.

References:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/journalism

https://www.journalism.org/