Journalism

Journalism has historically been defined as a profession in which information of interest to the public is collected by news reporters and disseminated through various forms of media (e.g., newspaper, radio, television). But as is the case with many fields, journalism is being redefined by social and technological change. The convergence of news reporting with public relations and content marketing challenged old ways of thinking. Jake Batsell, a former newspaper reporter turned professor, authored Engaged Journalism to explain what he means by engagement in journalism as a way to form deeper relationships with audience members. As early as 2006, Jay Rosen, a journalism professor, ignited a debate on his PressThink website by asserting that, “The people formerly known as the audience wish to inform media people of our existence.” The point was clear: Journalists and news organizations could no longer take readers, listeners, and viewers for granted because the Internet offered them an independent voice.

Before the Internet and social media communication, news organizations held tight control over access to newsworthy information. During this era, community activists sought access to expensive mass media through media relations and public access cable television channels. The environment in the 21st century, though, barely resembles the craft of journalism in its formative years.

A mere century ago, the trade of journalism was beginning to be influenced by the first schools and academic departments. The University of Missouri, for example, opened the first journalism school in 1908, and as reported on its website, [Page 820]immediately began publishing a student newspaper in response to journalism curriculum opposition, teaching journalism at universities, and placing it within the academic environment. The prevailing view had been that newspaper reporters should learn as newspaper apprentices. Today, the journalism program at Missouri is one of dozens of accredited journalism programs, and hundreds of departments and schools that exist across the globe. The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) was founded in 1912 as the American Association of Teachers of Journalism and now has more than 3,700 members made up of educators, students, and practitioners. According to AEJMC’s website, its mission promotes educational standards, multiculturalism, and practices of freedom.

Initial understanding of journalism begins with how news reporters collect information, how they and news organizations process and filter it in construction through media storytelling, and the many ways finished products may be distributed to audiences. From 19th-century development of interviews to make for what a reporter might term “a good story,” to 20th-century advanced journalism direct-observation techniques, journalism continued to evolve. The process has been one of change over thousands of years. This entry examines that change by reviewing the history of journalism and the evolving types of research conducted by journalists. The entry then looks at how photography and, much later, computer-assisted reporting became important components of journalism. The topics of media ethics and media law are then discussed, followed by sections on big data and media literacy and global communication.