Mass communication and Media studies

Name -            Bhatt Dhara J

Roll No:  -        2

M.A.Part-2 -   Sem-4

Paper -             02, Ec-404

Paper Name - Mass communication and Media studies

Topic for Assignment    - Journalism

Submitted To: Dr.Dilipsir Barad

  Department of English,

  Bhavnagar University,

  Bhavnagar.                 

Journalism

           Introduction

             Journalism as a craft, a profession and even as a culture industry and a business is over three centuries old. It was possible by the coming together of a number of technologies as well as of several social, political and economic developments. The main technologies that facilitated the development of large press, the telegraph and railways. The industrial revolution and the growth of capitalism, democracy and the public sphere provided the impetus and the support for rapid developments in the press.  

         As a crafts Journalism involves specialization in one area (editor, design, printing, photojournalism, or marketing); for the reporters and sub-editors for instance, it entails writing to a deadline, following routines in a conveyor belt like workplace, while respecting the division of labour in the new room and the whole production process. In earlier times, a knowledge of typewriting, and shorthand were the skills required of journalists; today, computing and internet skills as well as DTP (Desk Top Publishing)and multimedia and multi-tasking skills are in demand for all areas of Journalism Also, the division among the different specialistsations have became blurred.

           Radio and television journalists need to familiarize themselves with the special demands of audiovisuals media (writing news for radio and television, stand up reporting, anchoring, camera work, Editing etc)and Online journalists need to hone their skills in the writing for digital media.
               As a culture industry and business, Journalism involves publishing as regular basis for profit, with news considered as the perform its real unless there is basically the freedom of expression. The constitution of India has rightly granted the citizens of India the right to freedom containing seven categories of freedoms including the freedom of speech and expression. It is because of this freedom of speech and expression. It is because of this freedom that the press in India has become very powerful and called the “Forth Estate”.

    What is journalism?

     Who then is a ‘Journalist’? And what is ‘Journalism’?

          The words ‘Journalist’, Journal’ and ‘Journalism’ are derived from the French ‘Journal’ which in its turn comes from the Latin word ‘diurnal is’ or ‘daily’.

         The Acta Diurnal, a handwritten bulletin put up daily in forum, the main public square in ancient Rome, was perhaps the world’s first newspaper. In later periods of history,pamphlets,Tracts,reviews,periodicals,gazetts,newbooks,corantos,news sheets and letters came to termed ‘newspapers’. Those who wrote for them were first called, news writers’ or essayists and later ‘journalists’.

          It was only in the sixteenth century , that the morning news papers started taking root in Europe trading houses Europe were the first to publish the new-books and then news books included political and economic news of general interest. In 1560 A.D, even serial numbered news sheets hit some towns of Switzerland and Germany. By 1618, weekly newspapers in English German, French and Dutch languages began coming out.  

          In U.K “Cora to” a news sheet consisting of a signal page started its publication in 1621 A.D.However, It was only by 1660 A.D that weekly publication of news sheets came to be established in U.K.The “oxford Gazette” which appeared in 1660 A.D was later renamed as “London Gazette”

          Journalism has become a long way since then. Today, a journalists is anyone who contributes in some way to the gathering, selection, and processing of news and current affairs for the press, radio, films, television, Cable, the Internet, blogs, the mobile, the PDA and IPod: and Journalism is the profession to which belong. Thus, editors, correspondents, assistant, editors, reporters, sub-editors, proof-readers, cartoonists; so are, camera crew, audio, and video editors, news readers, producers, directors and managing editors. ‘Stringers are part-time journalists. While ‘Free-lance’ journalists are those who are occasional contribution to newspapers.

           Here is how the working journalist Act (1955) defines a ‘Working Journalist’:

           ‘Working Journalist’ means a person whose principle avocation is that of a journalist and (who is employed as such either whole-time or part-time in, or in relation to, one or more newspaper establishment and includes as editor, a leader writer, news-editors, sub-editor, feature-writer, copy tester, reporter, correspondent, news-photographer and proof-reader, but does not include any such person who:

A)     Is employed mainly in a managerial or administrative capacity or,

B)     Being employed in a supervisory capacity, perform either by the nature of duties attached to his office or by reasons of the power vested in him, and function mainly or managerial nature.

           Types of Journalism

                           Journalism

                         1) Tabloid

                                    2) Yellow

           Journalists work for the ‘broadsheet’ (or ‘quality’ or ‘serious’) press and the ‘tabloid’ (or ‘popular’ or ‘sensation’) press. The terms ‘broadsheets’ and ‘tabloid’(or ‘compact’) usually describe the two main formats of newspapers, but the labels also connote two kinds of news stories selected, and more importantly, the presentation, treatment and style as well. However, this distinction is now blurred, especially when serious or quality papers (such as The Times of India, the Indian Express and The Asian Age ) choose to highlight the private lives of public figure and the tabloids (such as Middy, the Afternoon Dispatch and courier, and Today) to publish serious investigate stories of corruption in high places. A third formats is termed the ‘Berliner’ which is popular with European and some North American (The Journal and Courier) daily newspapers.  

  

                         ‘Tabloid Journalism’ is frequently termed ‘Yellow Journalism’ primary because of its tendency to sensationalize and trivialize events, issues and people. The staple of the ‘tabloids’ is the private lives of famous people, crime, accidents, disasters, public corruption, sex, etc. Tabloid Journalists are believed to indulge in ‘Chequebook Journalism’ which implies that the subjects of the news stories are bribed to sell their ‘true confessions’. Such Journalisists are also believed to indulge in ‘Keyhole journalism’ or ‘sting journalism’ in their attempts to probe the private sexual infidelities and peccadilloes of well-known people and public officials. There is ‘page 3’ Journalism which focuses on the social lives of celebrities and films stars and sports heroes. These journalistic of the privacy raise several ethics questions about the invasion of the privacy of individuals and the public’s right to information.  

                         ‘Tabloid television’ follows the pattern of selection, treatment and style of the tabloid press.

                          In the pre-satellites television era (1980s) the video newsmagazines ‘news track’ and ‘Eyewitness’ were in the tabloid tradition. In recent years, India T.V, Janmat (now live India) and the crime-based programmers on several television news channels verge on the sensation and tabloid.

           The Role of the press

·      Communication of news and Events

                   The primary duty of the press is to feed the people with local, national, and international news and events. A newspaper contains a wealth of information. It deals with every people of life-political, economic, social, scientific, developmental, and religious, culture etc.There is no doubt that reading a newspaper involves grater mental exercise than listening to a news bulletin over the radio or watching the news programmed on T.V.

·      Phenomenal growth in Daily Newspapers

           The increase in the literacy ratio in developing countries not only of the number of newspapers but also of their circulation. The circulation of Daily newspaper per 1,000 in habitants was the highest in Japan (569).

·          Role of newspapers as an Industry

                 Publication of newspapers has become an    industry. Newspapers are not of a uniform size. Circulation various from newspaper to newspapers while a small newspaper can manage with only handful of employees, big newspapers have to employ hundreds of person to public lakhas of copies for circulation

·      Timely publication of news

                  But weather the size of a newspaper, every newspaper is printed by type and ink on newsprint. Newspaper influence and mould the mind of the people. Every page of newspaper is testimony of arouse work put in behind the scene by journalists of newspaper cannot be produced without the willing, cooperation, dedication, commitment, and team spirit of the journalists.

             The work of producing a newspaper is a time bound one because a newspaper has to be printed on time to reach the subscribe and the news stands at a fixed time.

·      Creative work

          The work of production of a newspaper has its own charm. History is being made every moment. Every moment unfolds a fresh development, a strange phenomenon, a heroic deed, an unprecedented, tragedy, a new hope, thrilling experience a mystic relation and so on and so forth. Reporters drive a great sense of satisfaction from the fact of being a part of this great process going on unabated.

·      Advertisement for goods and service

       In the modern age, newspapers are no longer confined to communication of news only. Newspapers provide space for advertisement of all sorts- Matrimonial advertisements, advertisement for filling up vacancies of various posts and services, purchase and sale of properties, educational opportunities for betterment of career etc.

·      Weather Bulletins and other vital Information

               Newspapers publish vital information for the benefit of the people. Almost every newspaper gives daily weather bulletin, and details of movies, public meeting and engagements, radio, and T.V programmed, and News also educate and as well entertain the readers by publishing articles, interview, features.

Guardians of the right of the people

          The newspapers are the guardians of the rights of the people. Weather these right are infringed, newspapers take up budgets on behalf of and economic evils prevalent in the society and motivate people to eradicate these evils. The famous Watergate Scandal was unearthed by two young reporters- Bob Woodward and Carl Berbstein of “Washington Post”

           Conclusion

                  Describing to the role of the press. Mahatma Gandhi once Said:

 “The sole aim of journalism should be service. The press is great power, but as an unchained torrent of water submerges whole countryside and devastates crops, even so an uncontrolled pen serve but to destroy.”

             We can thus deduce that in the ultimate analysis, the main responsibility of the press is to serve the people, to inform, educate entertain and motivate them to become better and conscientious citizens.