Concept in Definition ABC

Journalism is known as the activity of periodically publishing certain information of various types and tenor.

Professional activity that deals with reporting on current events that interest a large number of people

The process begins with the collection of the information, followed by the classification and of the elaboration, to finally be disseminated through the various media of communication mass, radio, television, written press, and in recent years we cannot ignore the tremendous participation that has the internet, especially in the dissemination of current news.

The main characteristic of information always is to be current and to be renewed moment by moment, which is why the name of the activity comes precisely from that quality of constant renewal.

Journalism is today one of the most important elements of the media since it is journalists who investigate, publish and comment on different facts that have to do with economic, political, cultural or sports.

An ever-present activity that has evolved into various eras and technological evolution

It is considered that, as such, journalism has always existed in human societies since man always counted on the need to convey important information and to keep abreast of various facts or events.

While in Modernity journalism began to gain importance through the printing and publication of short gazettes, and it would not be until the 19th century, and especially until the 20th century, that journalism would not become one of the central parts of every society thanks to the enormous diffusion that mass media such as newspapers, radio or television achieved in due course.

The fourth estate: independence and objectivity

We cannot ignore that journalism plays a relevant social role, a fact that led it to be considered the fourth estate.

Now, in the name of this impressive power attributed to him and that makes him capable of directly influencing what society thinks, it is precise and fundamental that journalism report on current events in a objective.

Another substantial and inherent issue in the exercise of journalism is the independence with which journalism acts. To guarantee this, it is essential that the media maintain and enforce their informative autonomy in the face of any pressure exerted by another sphere of power, such is the case of the politics, the business community, among others.

Surplus cases of reality show us that when there is no informational independence, the facts Public interest can be manipulated and the direct consequence will be public misinformation.

Meanwhile, whoever exercises the professional activity of journalism is called a journalist.

A profession committed to the truth

The work of a journalist can be very broad. There are a diverse number of topics and areas in which the journalist can focus his professional activity: sports, politics, economy, shows, music, society, police, investigation, among others.

Investigative journalism has been one of the fastest growing in recent decades as a consequence direct of the interest that arouses in the public the possibility of knowing hidden, secret or silenced stories by the can.

On the other hand, the journalist must know how to present a story, how to find the appropriate information to do so and also know how to distinguish reliable sources from those that are not.

Also, the information must be contrasted, checked, to be able to answer the questions of: what? How? When? Where? And because?

And the sources that provide the information must be reliable. A news story could not be based solely on the rumor.

In addition, a good journalist must find the most accessible and attractive way to communicate the information collected, in such a way that it reaches as many people as possible. Here it is of great importance the use of a correct but accessible language, and informal to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the case.

Some of the elements that make the facts are taken into account by journalists to be published are the relevance of the themselves, who are affected or who are involved, their current status, the proximity or closeness of the public to these events, etc.

For example, an event involving a personality Public, especially if the reason is a scandal or controversy, has a strict chance of becoming big news. The media and journalists know this and good professionals will never dismiss an event of these characteristics.

Topics in Journalism