This
weeks reading really focused on the role that news plays in the publics’ lives,
and I was surprised to read about the amount of impact that journalists have and their “power” over society.
A
journalist’s job is tough, and the reading really emphasizes that aspect
because not only is it a journalist’s job to inform the public, which is what I
always thought of it as, but journalists also have to consider things like what
the public wants and what they need. When writing an article, I never realized
that journalist’s have to keep in mind their audiences’ different beliefs or
what they are going to want to read about that day, so it’s not just about
tracking down a good story and telling people about it.
Another
main point of the reading that really stuck out to me was the changing
community for journalism. Now people don’t have to wait for a news article to
come out, and they have the ability to post news themselves on websites. So a journalist’s
job isn’t just reporting the news anymore; it also includes photos, videos,
editing websites, blogs, etc. It was interesting to see how the roles of
journalists have changed and are always changing.
One of the reasons I like the journalism field is because it's always changing. To add to what Sydney said, I think the rise of "citizen journalism" is interesting. There's so much news everywhere now especially on sites like Twitter and Facebook. Instead of having a few news outlets run by journalists be the trusted authority on news we're facing an information overload. Journalists now have the job of sifting through all the fluff to get the truth out and help dispel rumors. They also have to correct inaccuracies in stories written by "amateur journalists".
ReplyDeleteFinding a good story that matters is still central. But there is no "one size fits all version of that story." We need to know who we're writing for and meet them half-way. Fortunately, technology has given us lots of different platforms that we can use to deliver the news.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that you brought up that journalists need to keep in mind what their audience wants and what they need. Though there is oftentimes some sort of distinction between the two, what they want can sometimes affect how journalists present what they need and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteI have heard that being a journalist is tough and that they have a duty to be responsible in reporting, but I never took the time to consider the constraints that guide the content that journalists write about. It would seems that slander journalism covers over the real journalist who really do abide by a code of ethics and I actually wish that there was a shift back to journalism with integrity.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I always have problem to balance the audiences' interests and my personal interests. Some topics I want to write or produce may not be attractive compared to kidnap, killing people or even entertainment news. For example, TV stations often have their requirements about ratings when you want to sell programs to them. So they will always pursue you to interview some famous celebrities instead of some great poets who may be not known by many people. It's a little frustrating.
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