Journalism

Journalism

Mass communication and media studies generally interpreted the ‘mass’ media are the press, cinema, radio and television. But journalism is also as one of the parts of mass communication and media studies. Because books, magazines, pamphlets and direct mail literature and posters also need to be included in the label. They are so termed because their reach extends to vast heterogeneous masses of the population living in a wide and extensive area of country. And also the mass media is that they are founded on the idea of mass production and mass distribution and the marks of an industrialized society. And also the copies of newspapers and magazines for instance are printed in thousands some national dailies in India have a circulation of over half a million and are circulated over a vast area.

As far as Journalism is concerned it is a form of writing that tells people about things that really happened, but that they might not have been known about already.

Journalism as one part of mass communication and media studies. Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion and there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and business, journalism also covers cultural aspects of society such as arts and entertainment. The field includes editing, photojournalism and documentary.

Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating and presenting news and information.it is also the product of these activities.

“Journalism is storytelling with a purpose. That purpose is to provide people with information they need to understand the world. The first challenge is finding the information that people need to live their lives. The second is to make it meaningful, relevant, and engaging.”

People who write journalism are called Journalists. They might work at newspapers, magazines, and website or for TV or radio stations.

v Development of Journalism:

As we know that Journalism is one of the most efficacious mediums which plays a very vital role in the society.so anyone can have question that, “What is journalism?”The words like, ‘Journalist’, ‘journal’ and ‘journalism’ are derived from the French word ‘journal’, which in its turn comes from the Latin term ‘diurnalis’ or ‘daily’. ‘The Act Diurna’ was perhaps the world’s first newspaper which was a hand written bulletin put up daily in the forum, the main public square in ancient  Rome. Later, pamphlets,tracts,reviews,periodicals,gazettes, news books, newssheets and letters came to be called as ‘newspaper’. The persons who wrote for news were first called ‘news writers’ or ‘essayists’ and later on the term ‘journalist’ came to appear.

v Role of journalism

As modern journalism was just taking form, writer Walter Lippmann and American philosopher john Dewey debated over the role of journalism in a democracy in the 1920s and their differing philosophies still characterize a debate about the role of journalism in society and the nation – state.

v Freedom of press

 As far as freedom of press is concerned it should include the freedom to express their ideas and feelings through press so it is very much important to give freedom of speech to them.it also affects to the society. Because if the freedom is given then and then information can be acquired otherwise it becomes very hard to get information through media.

Therefore there are media laws which curtail press freedom. Anything that disturbs security andintegrity of the nation, communal harmony, and international relationship, decency in public life or interference in private life or matters in relation to contempt of court is considered as offense and legal actions are provided. Therefore press freedom can be viewed from two sides. First is the external and internal pressure such as interference by political and business leaders or pressures from advertiser or physical attacks on the press people and so on. And second is that various media laws restrict their freedom. Therefore we can say that the freedom of press is the mother of all other freedom.

v Types of journalism:

Journalism helps to explain the events that impact our lives and is developed in a number of forms and styles uses different techniques and writes for different purposes and audiences. So Journalism can be categorized into several types as enlisted below.

1)      Advocacy journalism.

2)      Broadcast Journalism.

3)      Investigative Journalism.

4)      Tabloid Journalism.

5)      Yellow Journalism.

Now let’s elucidate these types in detail.

1)      Advocacy journalism:

As being a major type, it can be defined as journalistic praxis.Advocacy journalism deals with writing to advocate particular viewpoints or influence the opinions of the audience. On the other hand opinion Journalism, exemplified by newspapers editorials and media punditry, is not always expected to involve the same degree in depth investigation. It also describes the use of journalism techniques to promote a specific political or social cause.

2)      Broadcast Journalism:

It is also a type of journalism which is the field of news and journals which are broadcast or in other words we can say that it is published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods such as printed newspapers and posters. Media in the broadcast journalism includes television, radio and the internet. Radio and television broadcasts are designed to get the news out to a wide variety of people in language that is much less formal than traditional print media.

So the radio was the first medium for broadcast journalism. And many of the first radio stations were cooperative community radio ventures not making a profit. And radio advertising to pay for programs was pioneered in radio and television displaced radio and newspapers as the main news sources for most of the public in industrialized countries and next is television news is considered by many to be the most influential medium for journalism.

3)      Investigative journalism:

Investigative journalism can be defined a type of journalism that tries to discover information of public interest that someone is trying to hide.it also includes serious crimes, political corruption or corporate wrongdoing.an investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report.

4)      Tabloid Journalism:

It is very much important type of journalism. Tabloid journalism is a newspaper of small format giving the news is condensed form, usually with illustrated often sensational material.so it puts more stress on crime stories,astrology,gossip columns about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars and junk food news.And it is this sense of the word that led to some entertainment news programs to be called tabloid television.

5)      Yellow Journalism:

It is one of the most significant types of journalism which highlights little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers.Yellow journalism is also known as sensationalism and it is writing which emphasizes exaggerated claims or rumours.

Moreover, the term yellow journalism is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical fashion and Campbell (2001) defines yellow press newspapers as having daily multicolumn front page headlines covering a variety of topics, such as sports and scandal, using boldlayouts, heavy reliance or unnamed sources, and unabashed self promotions. And the term was extensively used to describe certain major New York City newspapers about 1900 as they battled for circulation.

v Short History of Newspapers and magazines:

As far as the history of the newspapers and magazines is concerned it began circulating in the 17thcentury. The first newspaper in England was printed in 1641.however; the word newspaper was not recorded until 1670.the first successful daily newspaper was printed in Britain in 1702. The book is the oldest medium while credit for the oldest mass medium goes to the newspaper and magazine and newspapers were the first to reach a mass audience and becoming a medium of democracy.

Before the invention of newspapers in the early 17th century, official Government bulletins were circulated at times in some centralized empires. And people didn’t know about news or idea of the news or that kind ofthings. After the handwritten news sheet, and single item news publications.The Roman Empire published Acta Diurna ("Daily Acts"), or governmentannouncement bulletins, around 59 BC, as ordered by Julius Caesar. Theywere carved in metal or stone and posted in public places.

The first newspaper in France was published in1631 called La Gazette (originally published as Gazette de France).

La Gazette	French	1631	France
Gazeta da Restauracao	Portugal	1641	Lisbon
Gazeta de Madrid	Spanish	1661	Spain

William Bolts established a printing press in Calcutta.

The first newspaper in India was published by James Hicky in 1780 called Bengal Gazette/GeneralCalcutta Adviser. The size of that fourpagenewspaper was 12"x8".Hickey too was against the Company Government and publishedinternal news of the employees of the Company.In November 1781, India Gazette was also introduced; AsHickey was against the company government it affected a lot to him.

Madras Courier	1782
Bombay Herald	1791
Bombay Courier	1792
East India passed regulations	1799
Bengal Gazette	1816
Gagging Act of 1847	1857
Vernacular Press Act	1876

1920s and 1930s

In the period of 1920s and 1930s Newspapers commenced to be in public.so with the passing of time English dailies were became strong nationalist as they were loyal.The Servant of India and The Bombay Chronicle were reasonable as the leader was proCongress.Therefore slowly and steadily the figure of Indians who started to learn English increased.

The Bande Mataram of Aurbindo Ghosh, Kal of Poona and Sakli of Surat were strong nationalist.Being an industrialist G D Birla took over Hindustan Times and placed it on a sound financial footing and also S Sadanand was the person who began the Free PressJournal, a newspaper for the poor and middle class in Mumbai in the same year.

v History of magazine:

The English word magazine recalls Magazines Military storehouse of war materiel and originally was derived from The Arabic word makhazin meaning "storehouses." The term magazine wascoined for this use by Edward Cave.

v Types of Magazines

Most magazines look more or less the same at first glance, but Consumer: magazines targeting general reading audiences who are subsets of the general public with special interests. For instance, there areconsumer magazines that cover homes, sports, news, fashion, teen gossip,and many more groups of readers.1857The Uprising of 1857 brought out the divide between Indian ownedand British ownedNewspapers. The government passed the Gagging Act of 1847and theVernacular PressAct in 1876Trade and Professional: magazines targeting people working in trades,businesses and professional fields. These periodicals provide news,information and howtoarticles for readers working in specific industrieswith advertising content focused on those industries or trades including jobnotices.

Some popular and the world’s first magazines

1731 The first modern general interest magazine, The Gentleman's Magazine, is published in England as entertainment with essays, stories, poems and political commentary.

1739 The Scots Magazine begins and today remains the oldest consumer magazine in print.

1741 Benjamin Franklin intends to publish America's first magazine, General Magazine, but is scooped when American Magazine comes out three days earlier. 1770 The first women's magazine, The Lady's Magazine, starts withliterary and fashion content plus embroidery patterns.

 1843 The Economist begins examining news, politics, business, science and the arts.  1857 The Atlantic magazine arrives.

v Industrial Revolution:

The industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th century and the early 19th centuries when the major changes in the agriculture, manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in Britain. The changes subsequently spread throughout Europe and North America and eventually the world, a process that continues as industrialization. Moreover, Newspapers were in English language as the most of the readers of newspapers in English but with the passing of time newspapers started to circulate in other countries as a means of communication.

v Press codes of ethics:

The present code of press was established by the member organizations of the media organizations convention. Journalism ethics and standards comprise principles of ethics and of good practice as applicable to the specific challenges faced by the journalists. Thecodes of ethics are also known as canons of journalism.

While various existing codes have some differences, most share common elements including the principles of truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and public accountability as these apply to the acquisition of newsworthy information and its subsequentdissemination to the public.

v Press council of India:

It is very much important in journalism.Press council of India is a statutory body in India that governs the conduct of the print media. It is one of the most significant bodies that sustain democracy, as it has supreme power in regard to the media to ensure that freedom of press is maintained.

The council’s action may not be questioned unless it is proved to be in violation of the constitution which makes sit an exceedingly powerful body. Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad is current chairman of the council. ThePress council of India was first set up in the year of 1966 by the parliament on the recommendation of the first commission with the object of preserving the freedom of the press and maintaining and improving the standards of press in India.

The present council functions under the press Council Act 1978.It adjudicates the complaints against and by the press for the violation of the ethics and for the violation of the press respectively. The council consists of 28 other members of who 20 represent the press and are nominated by the press news agencies. The council was last reconstituted on May 22,2001.

It preserves the freedom of press and standards of print media. Its main objectives are given below.

Objective presentation on facts and events

·        Free access to information

·        Right of information

Maintaining order and peace by not publishing inciting news misrepresenting facts.

Privacy and confidentiality.

v Audit Bureau of Circulation:

It was found in 1948 and its private body.it is a non-profit organization that audits and certifies the newspapers and magazines circulation in India. The headquarter of Audit Bureau of Circulation is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra and Shailesh Gupta is the current chairperson of Audit Bureau of Circulation.Untill 1948,there was no organization that helps advertisers and advertising agency to help in deciding in which publication they should advertise their products.

They had to rely on the figures given by the publication owner which were faulty, calculated without in depth research. So Publishers and advertisers came together to help both of them and formed Audit Bureau of Circulation.

ABC operates in many different parts of the world with the same name and function. It is a member of international federation of Audit Bureau of Circulation there is uniformity in surveying and auditing net paid sales.

v Press Trust of India:

To quote K R Narayan, former president of India

“We got independence in August 1947.But independence in news and information we got only with the establishment of PTI in 1949.That is the significance of Press trust of India”

Press trust of India is one of the leading prestigious agencies of India. Press trust of India, a national non-profit enterprise is a news agency, a merge of Associated press of India and Reuters, anIndian outlet of great Britain a way back in 47’s.It began functioning in 1949.It is owned by Indian newspapers.it gives news in English as well as in Hindi to the news agency.

Its major subscribers are enlisted below

·        The Times of India

·        The Indian express

·        The Hindustan Times

·        All India Radio

·        Doordarshan

Press trust of India is headed by R Laxmipathy.It’s the largest cooperative news agency of the developing world. In 1980’s it underwent major changes like its operations were computerized and its service was made available in Hindi and other regional languages.in the year of emergency 1976,it was stopped working and ordered to merge with

v United News of India

·        Hindustan Samachar

·        Samachar Bharati.

But once the emergency was lifted they began their work separately. It contributes in building democratic country where press plays a vital role.

v Registrar of Newspapers for India:

Being an important known as RNI, this is a statutory body of government of India for newspapers in India. It was established in 1 July 1956, on the recommendation of the first press commission in 1953 and by amending the press and registrar of Books Act 1867.

The office of the registrar of newspapers for India is headquartered in New Delhi and has three regional offices at Kolkata Mumbai and Chennai.Registrar of Newspapers for India regulates and monitors printing and publication of newspapers based on the press and registration of the Books Act, 1867 and the registration of the newspapers rules, 1956.The registrar is designated as press Registrar, and S M Khan a 1982 batch senior IIS officer is the current Press Registrar and head of the Department.

v Indian News Agency:

In Journalism, it is very much significant about news agencies, whose single aim was to enrich the newspapers with a wide variety of news events happening around the world. Earlier the agencies were meant to provide the news items only to the newspapers but with the passing of time, rapidly developing modern mediums such as radio, television internet to adapt the services of news agencies.

K C Roy, anIndian journalist during the early years of this century set up the first Indian news agency called The Press News Bureau (PNB).on the other hand Nationalist News agency was set up in 1930s by S Sadanand known as FPI (Free Press of India).

v United News of India:

United News of India (UNI) was launched in March, 1961, and has grown into one of the largest news agencies in Asia. During these years we have acquired and enviable reputation for fast and accurate coverage of all major news events in India and abroad in all areas like politics, Economics, Business, Sports, Entertainment and so on. Our service also provides subscribers with a rich choice in features, interviews and human interest.United News of Indiawas in three languages such as English, Hindi and Urdu. We launched UNIVARTA in Hindi in 1982 and pioneered a wire service in Urdu in 1992, in 1981, we became the first Indian news agency to serve subscribers abroad and earn foreign exchange for the country by selling its wire service directly to newspapers in Gulf States and in Singapore through satellite channels.