Why Is Journalism Important?
Why is journalism important? With the reference to the literature, critically assess the role of journalism in a democratic society.
The responsibility of the awkward question has to be asked by someone and the journalist is the one who craves this duty. They are the ones who grab the challenge with both hands and seek for the truth. This is the essence of journalism and why it matters so much to free society. It's offerings of informative answers in plain English make it accessible to all. In a democracy where politicians believe their own spin and freely offer their viewpoint on current issues it is crucial for journalists to actively seek information and knock on closed doors to reveal what is really happening. However, this applies to important life changing material and not, for instance, what designer the newest celebrity is wearing.
After asking such probing questions journalists must report to the public their findings. By informing society of events they become very powerful and influential: "A 1990 survey established that TV and newspapers come ahead of friends, family, politicians or other sources of information when it comes to influencing opinion, and that television journalism in particular is the main source of people's information about the world."
(McNair. B. 2003.)
With such a crucial role in people's lives journalism clearly matters. Without it government would dominate and the majority of society would be ignorant to their surroundings. In order to prevent this and allow a democratic society to work active participation is required along with free debate, as this encourages an informed decision when it comes to choosing representation. Journalists also sieve through vast papers of political jargon to reach the core and the truth that lies buried within in order to leave the electorate empowered. Politicians are also very aware of the significance of journalism as without it they cannot effectively function. They rely on sound bites
The responsibility of the awkward question has to be asked by someone and the journalist is the one who craves this duty. They are the ones who grab the challenge with both hands and seek for the truth. This is the essence of journalism and why it matters so much to free society. It's offerings of informative answers in plain English make it accessible to all. In a democracy where politicians believe their own spin and freely offer their viewpoint on current issues it is crucial for journalists to actively seek information and knock on closed doors to reveal what is really happening. However, this applies to important life changing material and not, for instance, what designer the newest celebrity is wearing.
After asking such probing questions journalists must report to the public their findings. By informing society of events they become very powerful and influential: "A 1990 survey established that TV and newspapers come ahead of friends, family, politicians or other sources of information when it comes to influencing opinion, and that television journalism in particular is the main source of people's information about the world."
(McNair. B. 2003.)
With such a crucial role in people's lives journalism clearly matters. Without it government would dominate and the majority of society would be ignorant to their surroundings. In order to prevent this and allow a democratic society to work active participation is required along with free debate, as this encourages an informed decision when it comes to choosing representation. Journalists also sieve through vast papers of political jargon to reach the core and the truth that lies buried within in order to leave the electorate empowered. Politicians are also very aware of the significance of journalism as without it they cannot effectively function. They rely on sound bites
Bibliography: Cole, Peter. (2005) The structure of the print industry. In: Keeble, R., (ed.) Journalism: A critical introduction. London, Routledge. p. 2-3 Stefanie Khaw and Mark Tran (2006) Enron. The Guardian, Thursday July 6. McNair. B., Why Journalism matters. In: News and Journalism in the UK, 4th ed. London, Routledge. p. 3-29. Randell, David (2007) What makes a good reporter?, The limitations of journalism. In: D. Randell The Universal Journalist, 3rd ed. London, Pluto Press. p. 1-24.