Concept in Definition ABC

Journalist is a person who is more or less professionally engaged in journalism through any medium, be it written press, radio, television and / or digital media. The journalist's work is associated with the investigation of news or issues of public interest and current affairs through various verifiable sources for dissemination. The figure of the journalist is broad and, according to his medium of work, he can occupy the role of reporter, editor, editor, photographer, designer, technician and others.

From a historical point of view, the first practices that could be defined as journalistic correspond to the chronicles about warlike events or heroic stories from ancient cultures. In more recent times, the description of the travels of the researchers and conquerors of the Modern Age. In this sense, for many experts, the blog written by the Italian chronicler Pigaffeta during the trip of Magellan and Elcano constitutes the first journalistic account of the civilization western.

If we talk about the principles that govern this practice, we cannot ignore the search and respect for the truth, the investigative rigor and the dissemination of that information relevant to the opinion public. When it refers to the study of professional journalistic practices, it speaks of the journalist's deontology. These variables are of cardinal importance, since one of the temptations of the media, induced on many occasions by the imperative need for commercial revenue, consists of the notification of contents that have not been duly checked, which motivates the generation of "false news", in open opposition to the fundamental premise of seeking the truth that characterizes the journalism.

A journalist can have different specializations, such as environmental, historical, economic, cultural, political or scientific journalism. In recent times, many professionals in these areas have dabbled in journalism, giving rise to a reverse phenomenon. Therefore, athletes or former athletes who have ventured into sports chronicles are observed, as well as health professionals dedicated to the scientific press.

Associated with the notion of journalism are the concepts of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, which in different moments in history and in different countries under both authoritarian and democratic regimes are not always respected. In some areas of the world, the journalist profession is considered high risk and organizations such as Reporters Without Borders they take care of investigate and promote the transparent and free exercise of journalism. Correspondents abroad and in areas of armed conflict are in a particular situation of risk, which makes them vulnerable.

The digital revolution and the emergence of new technologies has meant the emergence of a new type of journalist, who some qualify as a cyberjournalist. This new journalism is practiced through applications from Web 2.0 and, in many cases, involves a participation much more direct and active on the part of the reader and the citizen. More and more the media have taken conscience of the relevance of the viewer in the building high-impact, credible news reports, and in turn citizens have learned to demand more accurate and far-reaching journalism for their own interests.

As a corollary of these changes, it has been pointed out that anyone with access to a computer system and a social network you can act as a kind of journalist. Actually these resources Digital networks have motivated a high degree of interaction between the common citizen and the mass media. Consequently, many mainstream journalistic institutions, even some centuries old, existence, have modified their way of presenting themselves to give way to strategies such as newsletters news, the feeds, dissemination through Twitter or Facebook and the possibility of receiving comments and opinions from various sources. However, according to experts, this true information revolution will not only not be associated with the extinction of journalism as discipline, but, on the contrary, will lead to its strengthening, from the growing need to disseminate news to an increasing proportion of potential subjects interested in accessing the information.