Journalism

1. Chapter 1
Foundational Concepts
on Journalism

2. Learning Outcomes
 Identify the tenets of journalism
 Name the functions of and duties of the press
 Compare and contrast journalism and literature
 Explain freedom of the press
 Critic the strengths and weaknesses of select articles

3. Scope and Nature of Journalism
 Journalism is everywhere, just as media takes an integral part in all of our lives. Where there
is media, journalism exists.
 Journalism is one of the most prestigious careers one can get today. The tools of
communication and technology are television, the printed media and radio. The internet
is a more recent addition to this list. A career in journalism can be challenging as well as
highly rewarding.

4. Scope and Nature of Journalism
 What is Journalism?
Journalism is concerned, primarily, with the collection and
dissemination of news through the print media as well as the electronic
media (http://entrance-exam.net/scope-of-journalism/).
It involves various areas of work: reporting, writing, editing,
photographing, broadcasting or cable casting news items. It covers
the printed media that comes in the form of broadsheets, tabloids,
newsletters and magazines.

5. Scope and Nature of Journalism
 What is Journalism?
 Journalism comes from the Latin word, diurnal, which means daily.
The word journal means a daily register of one’s activities. Hence,
journalism is a communication of day-to-day information, whether
through sounds, pictures and words.

6. Scope and Nature of Journalism
 Newspapers
Oldest and most traditional format for the inclusion of journalism.
Regularly scheduled publications containing news of current events,
informative articles, diverse features and advertising
Newspapers originally started life as ‘journals’, from which the word
‘journalism is derived.

7. Scope and Nature of Journalism
 Newspapers
19th century – American journalists relied on sensational stories that
were used to excite or anger the public, rather than to inform them.
This form of journalism became known as ‘yellow’ journalism.
During World War II – Accurate and fact-based reporting became
popular again when the restrained style of writing gained resurgence.

8. Scope and Nature of Journalism
 Magazines
 Publications containing a variety of articles that are generally published on a
regular schedule, whether it be weekly, monthly or quarterly.
 Takes a much more relaxed format than newspapers, with a more informal
style to their writing
 Usually focused on a particular subject or area of interest, whereas
newspaper articles can cover almost any topic
 The Gentleman’s Magazine – considered the first general-interest magazine.
Its editor, Edward Cave (who wrote under the pseudonym ‘Sylvanus Urban’)
was one of the very firsts to use the term ‘magazine.’

9. Scope and Nature of Journalism
Television news journalism, including radio
Known as news broadcasting and is produced locally in a newsroom or by
a broadcast network.
Sometimes also includes additional material as sports coverage, weather
forecasts, traffic reports, commentary, and other material that the
broadcaster considers relevant to the intended audience.
Most major television channels offer regular news broadcasts throughout
the day.

10. Scope and Nature of Journalism
 Internet communications
 have excelled in the last decade or so, taking the way news is published with
it.
There are now an uncountable digitized number of reputable and not-so-
reputable sources of information on the internet.
Everything from digitized versions of the very newspapers that headed up the
first print media movements hundreds of year ago, to independent bloggers
reporting their own stories from the comfort of their own laptops.
Opinions are much easier to come by, and users can seek out the same story
from multiple sources to get a more balanced view than they ever could in
the past.
Almost every form of media these days can be used as an expression of
opinion or conduit of information.

11. Journalism versus Literature
 All journalistic ventures are grounded on facts, on truth and on actuality. Facts are the
foundation of all the ambits of journalism.
 Journalism and literature are both forms of writing, consumed by the public and have
relative style, as well as guided by set of rules.
 Literature is based on the wandering imagination of a writer. It is categorized into prose
and poetry. Journalism on the other hand has main genres that include news, editorial
and features. Journalistic genres follow the strict method of dividing ideas through
paragraphs while literature has a variety of forms and styles.

12. Journalism versus Literature
Jonas, a writer, wishes to come up with a story about ghosts. He now starts imagining
the appearance of the ghosts and creates a plot which includes the conflict, the
climax and the resolution of the conflict. Jonas is writing a literary piece.
Marla, on the other hand, also writes about ghosts. However, before she starts writing
about them, she interviews persons who have allegedly seen them. The appearance of
ghosts, including the person’s beliefs about them is written into an entertaining way.
Hence, the output is packed with facts.

13. Tenets of Journalism
 Going into the road of journalism entails not only knowledge but also responsibilities.
Hence journalists are bound by strict guidelines. Journalists have rights, but they must bear
on shoulders the duties to serve the interest of the public.
1. Responsibility – Journalists should always be aware of their obligations to their readers to
write the truth whatever it costs. For this reason, journalists must be brave enough to defend
facts and the truth behind the news. In this sense, the journalists’ main responsibility is to be
transmitter of veracity in any issue, and that they are liable not to the company but to the
public.

14. Tenets of Journalism
2. Freedom of the Press – As a basic right, freedom of the press should be safeguarded by the
people of media. In this case, any topic under the sweltering heat of the sun may be written so
long as there is no infraction to the existing laws of the land.
3. Independence - Putting forward the life of one or two persons by slashing the welfare of the
general public is a clear violation of this tenet. It means that the services of a journalist should
be committed to the interest of the general public and not driven by the interest of money
called “envelopmental journalism.”
4. Objectivity, Truthfulness and Accuracy – Checking the veracity of data and information before
they are published is an example of being accurate and truthful. Since facts are the solid
foundation of journalism, media men should not therefore conceal the truth by fabricating
facts and by publishing misquoted statements and erroneous statistics.
Objectivity – avoiding conflicts of interest on the treatment of the articles and on the way
arguments and news are written. Partisan news and biased interviews violate the ideals of
journalism; ergo, a journalist should know the difference between news and opinion.

15. Tenets of Journalism
 Guidelines to Attain a Balanced Story (Teel and Taylor, 1983; cited by Pangilinan, 2012)
a. Stick to the facts.
b. Never insert your personal opinion.
c. Be discreet in the use of adjectives.
d. Avoid cheap shots.
e. Somebody with something to say deserves a forum.
f. Assess your alliances. Remember that you are an observer, not a participant.
g. Listen to your editor.

16. Tenets of Journalism
5. Fairness – The whole point in advocating objectivity is to be fair in presenting information in
any journalistic field. Remember, the public will see the topic according to the way
journalists present it; hence, reporters should exercise telling the truth and putting the
information in the right perspective.
- Journalists should always present both sides of the coin, both sies of the argument, both sides of
controversial issues. They should set both avenues for the opposing parties to ventilate their
arguments and points of clarification. Journalists must respect the privacy of individuals, unless
there is a warrant of a public right.
- In case there is a mistake, true journalists should rectify the said error, thus the errata in
newspapers.

17. Killers of Balanced Reporting
1. Yellow Journalism – sensationalizing a story or an issue.
-A type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and
instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers.
-Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering or
sensationalism.
- Most showbiz stories are grounded on this type of journalism which appeals to the
curiosity of the readers and viewers.

18. Killers of Balanced Reporting
2. New Journalism – The new journalists expanded the definition of journalism and of
legitimate journalistic reporting and writing techniques. They also associated journalism
with fiction when they describe their work with phrases such as “nonfiction novel” and
“narrative techniques of fiction.” In so doing, they ignited a debate over how much like a
novel or short story a journalistic piece could be before it began violating journalism’s
commitment to truth and facts. This approach represents a return to the roots of social
reporting which was used in Charles Dicken’s fiction.
-combines journalistic research with the techniques of fiction writing in the reporting of stories
about real-life events.
-also narrative journalism, literary journalism

19. Killers of Balanced Reporting
3. Advocacy Journalism – a genre of journalism that, unlike propaganda, is fact-based but
supports a specific point of view on an issue. Advocacy journalists are expected to focus
on stories dealing with corporate business practices, government policies, political
corruption and social issues. Arguably, advocacy journalists serve the public interest in a
way similar to muckrakers or whistle blowers. Most advocacy journalists reject the
supposed objectivity of the mainstream press as a practical impossibility, and some others
take the position that the economic censorship exerted by corporate sponsors is no
different from political censorship.

20. Killers of Balanced Reporting
A hypothetical example of advocacy journalism
In Anytown, USA, there is public conflict regarding building a large power plant. A local
publisher opposed to the plant presents a five-part series accenting probable negative
consequences the construction of the power plant would have on the town. The news outlet
reports on questionable activities or policies of the builder, conflicts of interest between the
builder and local politicians, and negative environmental effects, but downplays anticipated
benefits of the plant. The advocacy media outlets give coverage to local demonstrations
and town meetings, but avoid interviewing credible supporters. In short, the advocacy news
media outlets present selected facts in a compelling, well-researched manner, but avoid
presenting credible opposition data.

21. Killers of Balanced Reporting
4. Editorializing - This is giving the reporter’s opinion rather than the fact. It may also mean
the expanding of news about an insignificant happening to give publicity to a subject.

22. Functions and Duties of the Press
1. The quality of the newspaper must be reflected in the editorial policy. It is more than just a
business because it also reflects and influences the life of the whole academic
community.
2. Newspapers must have integrity and readers’ confidence.
3. Newspapers may educate, stimulate, assist or entertain. It is therefore a moral responsibility
to balance public interest and the gains.
4. The fundamental quality of the newspaper rests on the quality of the content and the kind
of editorial product. It is responsible for the rise of the readers’ educational level and
resurgence of an articulate, active young generation.

23. Functions and Duties of the Press
5. Freedom of the press encompasses responsibility of the newspapers. Freedom of the press
and responsibility are inseparable. Responsibility of the press means truth in the news –
truth tempered with mercy, decency and humility.
6. The press must practice the principles of journalism without bias and self-interest.

24. Limitations of the Press
 Reports are flawed (Broeder, 1987 as cited in Pangilinan, 2012). – Reports are not that
complete and may bear mistakes. The limitations of the press may be traced upon the
timeframe within which an article should be submitted for publication. Remember that
journalism secures the freshness of the information. Therefore, when a journalist is in a hurry
to beat the deadline, he may not have enough time to reach all the sources of
information. Subsequently, reporters will be unable to present the story in as many
perspectives as a journalist should showcase.
This implies that readers or the information-consuming public should judge very critically the
articles, the reports, including the photos. Readers should know how to ask questions that are left
unanswered, in the same manner when journalists dig for facts and additional information.

25. Limitations of the Press
 The press is prone to be manipulated by the powerful, the elite and the politicians. “Every
good politician will attempt to work well with the press. If you live in a country where public
opinion ultimately decides public policy, any politician who is at all serious is going to try to
manage public opinion, and that means working with the press. So they all do it.”
(Broeder, 1987 as cited in Pangilinan, 2012)