History of Journalism

Journalism spans history, going back all the way to the 1400s. It really took off in the 1600s, however, when the
printing press was created in Germany. Soon after, newspapers and gazettes began to flood the streets, beginning to
keep the public educated on the events happening around them. Political pamphlets were distributed, leading to the
first periodical to be published in 1655. This was called the Oxford Gazette and it inhabited all of the qualifications
needed in a newspaper.

In the late 1600s, people began to question the lines of press freedom. The only laws that actually were in place
before the Stamp Act of 1712 were those that prevented treason, reporting Parliamentary actions, and rebellious
slander. Journalists were cautious of publishing any material that spoke against the government until later acts that
protected freedom of the press were put into place. Once journalism began to grow and become a more respected
profession, it began to play a significant part in the political and public dealings of many countries.

The world of journalism began to significantly increase in the 18th century with the boost of literacy and political
interest. The first piece of what is considered modern journalism was published in 1703 by Daniel Dafoe, highlighting
the Great Storm of 1703 in Britain. Just six years later, a news and gossip publication called The Tattler was created.
The government began to frown upon such an increase in production of newspapers and magazines that they began
to try placing taxes on them via parliament votes. After many attempts at censorship, the government eventually
backed down after many rebels began to step up in the name of press freedom. Once taxes began to raise on
newspapers in London, numbers of untaxed papers showed up, with a very revolutionary political tone to them.
Even after having the publishers prosecuted, they refused to go away, causing an eventual repeal.

The 1700s were beneficial for American journalism as well. The first successful periodical was The Boston News-
Letter in 1704. Ben Franklin ran the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1728, publishing newspapers for the six biggest colonies.
By 1800s, there were nearly 234 newspapers being published in the new United States of America. Both the
Federalist and Republican parties went back and forth, attacking each other on the pages. As the cities began
growing, journalism began to spread to smaller towns and cities, in hopes to communicate and campaign for the
political parties.

During the American Civil War, war correspondents began working for newspapers. Since telegraphs were so
expensive to send, writing had to be developed into shorter forms. This eventually led to the establishment of wire
services, with the Associated Press becoming one of the first. New and untraditional forms of journalism began to
grow as well, redefining what people thought they knew of journalism. The first African American newspaper was
established in 1827 and foreign language newspapers soon followed.

In the 21st century, the growth of the Internet had a significant impact on the journalism world. The Internet
brought free news and major newspapers saw troubling financial times. Large publications decided to end print
editions and go to solely online papers for small subscription fees. Other companies decided to try hybrid publishing,
where they would print some hard copy editions and the rest would be available on the Internet. With a whole new
world being available on the World Wide Web, publications had a lot to decide in a short time if they wanted to save
their companies.

Definition of Journalism
 
Journalism in its most basic sense is the process of gathering and presenting factual information. This
information is used to transmit a story to the public and to create a record for archival purposes. This can be by
print, digital, broadcast, photography, or through alternative medias.
Typically a piece of news journalism will be fact-based and not opinion-based, written in a third-person style
(meaning no use of "I" or "you"), and is usually governed by a style guide of conventions for word usage,
capitalization, spelling, and such.
One of the essential elements of journalism is that it relies on first-hand accounts, quotations, and research for
its factual basis. Reporters and other creators of journalistic work conduct investigations by searching for primary
source material and talking to eyewitnesses and others involved in the story. They then construct a finished work
that makes a coherent whole out of the information they have gathered.
Journalism covers news from several different angles. Events happen that news editors know their readership
would want to be informed of, such as catastrophic fires or accidents. There are regular events and planned
activities that are considered newsworthy, too, such as county Commissioners' meetings and local football
games. Coverage is often assigned to report on these types of stories.
The public also supplies news items. Organizations are permitted to send press releases to the media to
announce developments that the news outlets might want to publish. Best practices for press releases require
that they must be fact-based, not promotional, and releases are often edited to fit size constraints . Readers may
send photos and notices in for publication as well.
Throughout the ages, journalism has vastly changed not only lives, but entire countries and society in general,
just by making sure people are informed and know the truth. In some countries, the government controls all
means of news and journalism, but in most others, it is a free entity allowing access to important information to
all who seek it.
When trying to differentiate journalism and any other form of communication, it is important to note that
journalists devote their career to reporting the truth. They focus on bringing the verified facts to the readers,
steering away from any expressly influenced thoughts. People crave the specifics and the entire story, so not
only do journalists write about the realities, but they also research and delve deep for the hidden essentials that
not a lot of people can find.
 

Purpose of Journalism
It is nearly impossible to say journalism has one sole purpose. Ensuring society becomes well informed and providing
them with reliable information is incredibly important. It is also a journalist's duty to deliver accurate news, true to
the source without being biased or taking sides.

Journalists are counted on for supplying a wide range of information from political updates to technology news.
Millions of people rely on the work of journalists to keep them actively knowledgeable in various topics. With our
world ever changing and news being available on phones, society is able to read journalist's work just about
anywhere they go. This opens the channels of knowledge and education to anyone who is willing to embrace it.

Outside of news, the journalism world by itself has made a large impact on the written word and languages spoken
around the world. Not only providing an outlook for many writers to speak the truth in all countries, it also provides
new writing styles for journalists to experiment with or even create on their own. Many journalists in previous
decades made huge stands against governments or regimes in order to get their written word exposed to society,
opening new pathways for multitudes of languages.

The Journalistic Working Process

Journalism is all about the story. Finding the right topic to write about is the first step along the journey. You have to
decide what topic you want to write about and choose your story from there. It has to be something factual and
something you can find information to base your words off of. Once the topic is selected, you can narrow it down to
a location or even a specific person if needed.

After you have your story selected, you have to set out a plan and agenda. It is important not to procrastinate as the
story is not going to write itself. Implementing a detailed agenda and incorporating all of the things you need to do
for the writing process will not only help keep you organized in the process, but it will also prevent you from skipping
any important steps needed along the way.

Gathering information is the next step in the journalistic working process. This can also be one of the most fun parts
for the reporter as it can include interviews, research, investigating, etc. Whatever information you need to add
subject matter to your story, do it! If it involves conducting interviews, contact whoever you can to plan them ahead
of time just to save everyone involved time and distress. When performing research, use any sources you can think
of including books, internet, or people. Show the world why you want to write the story and why you have what it
takes.

After compiling all of the data needed, it comes time to actually write your content. Set aside some time and actually
focus on writing everything. Do whatever it takes to write in the best way you write. This could mean you blast music
as loud as you possibly can or you sit in complete silence. Writing the main content of the story is part where you
showcase your personality and talent, so do not hold anything back.

The final step in the working process is editing. Some journalists edit their work themselves while others have
friends, family, or fellow journalists help out. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you go over your work again
and again until you are comfortable that everything is good to submit to your publisher or online. If it is, you have
just completed your story!

How to do Good Stories

Anyone can write something and pass it off as news. A news publication can hire any average person to be their
writer and publish whatever they write in order to fill their pages. In order to actually capture the audience's
attention, a good story needs to be both thought-provoking and significant. Journalists use all of their skills in
writing and research to compile a piece that not only enlightens the public, but inspires them to want to learn
more. In the following paragraphs, we take up some aspects of the American Press Institute about how to do a
good story:
Importance
The importance of the story has a lot to do with keeping the audience's attention. Journalists bring the topics
they write about alive in the pages, developing complex characters and telling significant stories. Simplifying
topics and explaining why they are important to the everyday person is crucial to a writer. Showing that the main
focus character in the piece actually completes the tasks they set out to complete in their day can considerably
heighten the audience's respect for them. Backing the story up with facts and graphics will also help boost the
importance to the reader.
Relevance
Readers are going to be more interested in a story that actually has relevance to their life than something that
does not. Whether it is emotionally or geographically, it is also important to prove how it is relevant to the
readers by laying out the reasons as well. You can add detailed experiences, facts, statistics or even opinions in
order to help the audience compare their own familiarities and establish a relationship.
Detail and Context
Journalists can rely on detail to help them provide their audience something concrete to grasp. Instead of
overloading the story with fact after fact, detail can help pinpoint the right facts that should be the focus. This
directly links to the context of the story, or the main framework. Those reading the piece need a basis to ground
the story on and a solid context layout can help with that. Mixing both context and detail together helps
guarantee a strong finished piece.
Characters and Theme
People are most interested in the lives and happenings of other people. Establishing strong characters that
virtually come alive in every piece is the main goal for journalists. Capturing what they do, feel, and think is
crucial when developing characters that the readers relate to. Once the character is instituted, the overall theme
comes into play. Building an entire scene and image for the audience to envision is just as important as the
characters. Using descriptive words and explaining the background in the best way possible can lead to a more
lifelike and relatable story.
Connection and Inspiration
Writing about something that is normally deeper and more profound is a great way to step above the rest.
Thinking of topics that can be inspiring and motivating will not only get your story noticed, but it will also get your
story talked about. Journalists have to take a step ahead and anticipate the audience's reaction to the story.

Journalistic Ethics and Standards

After many years of having to handle various ethical dilemmas or conflicts of interests, many journalistic codes of
ethics were established worldwide. There are some common principles which help provide journalists with a
structure to follow for self-regulation. Created by journalists and publications together, they help protect not only
the writers, but the companies and the sources as well.
Truth and Accuracy

Limitation of Harm

Accountability

Objectivity and Impartiality

Considering Slander and Libel

Media bias

Sensationalism

The Origin Of Journalism In The World

Posted: October 22, 2012 in College Assignments
Tags: history of journalism, mass communication media

In society there are some people

who ask whether there is a language of journalism ? And for what?  Usually, they are asking as it pertained who have a concern for the ins and
 outs of the Indonesian language. The rest, the public in general ignores the difference between journalistic language with the language used in

the market everyday life.

 Journalism comes from Acta diurna, which appeared in the Roman era, where news and announcements affixed to or installed in the

city center at a time when it was called the Forum Romanum.

 The origin of the word Journalism is “Journal” or “du jour” which means day, where all the day’s news or the news contained in the

printed sheet.

 In Literally, journalism (Journalistic) meaning of things journalism or news. Basically the word “journal” (journal), that reports or

records, or “jour” in French means “day” (day) or “diary” (diary). In the Dutch language diary journalistiek means broadcasting.

Human in the era of media convergence, it is not possible to develop themselves and communities with no access to news, facts, illustrations,

ideas, and information from various mass communication media, both traditional and contemporary media

(Santana K., 2005: 152).

Starting from the 19th century after the industrial revolution,  they perfected a variety of technologies to aid their life. Between plant was

connected with agriculture. Human is no longer just interpersonal and group communication. Communications technology to bring people

through the telephone industry, newspapers, magazines, photography, radio, film, television, computers and satellite and internet. Humans are

now in the information age.

How does mass media transmitting information and education? How the mass media to function as agents of social control, the heir to the value

of culture, news and entertainment provider interpreter?

All of it is fostered by the media workers. Their work, which is increasingly become a profession, creating an increasingly effective messages.

From the electronic sound human, to the printed page and the letters of electronic billboards, all accumulate. This is the result of trial and error

when workers and academics to develop a process of mass communication. They examine the elements of the message, the individual sender,

audiences and effects of mass communication.

Media workers organize mass messages using media technology space and time. Electronic voices “human” process hissing exposure to the

broadcast time unit. The words printed are prepared to bring liveliness to the social image spaces. Systematics calculated message to the details

of the effect of “dot and comma”, not merely the language grammar. Messages that have the allure of organized mass tastes in different spaces of

experience and social references.

Press (read: media workers) into a mediation process between the community and the “world”. Releases processed by journalism to have powers

of persuasion. Journalism processing it through the ordinances seek and disseminate information. Journalism has always developing and

distributing messages coverage techniques appropriate to the culture of the community. In the development process, the design of information

encouraging the birth of the phenomenon of language press.

Language press became one tool. Language, in the journalistic life, no longer merely a means of conductive messages but another thrust. In its

development, affecting the press up to the level of reality fragment of news event. The values and norms of journalistic language being a unique

institutional language, and if patterned, inducing the public discourse when it puts perspective on reality.

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In the Big Indonesian Dictionary Third Edition published by the Ministry of National Education, (Hall Book Jakarta, 2005), on page xxv

Instructions Dictionary states, among other kinds according to the subject. There explained that there are four different kinds of variations of the

laws, journalistic language diversity, language diversity of scientific, literary and language diversity. So there is a language of journalism as a

variety of Indonesian by subject of it`s speaker like scientific language and literary language.

Journalistic language as one of the Indonesian variation was evident form their role for people who listen to information from the radio every

day, reading news papers, tabloids and magazines every day, watch television reporting the events that occurred in various parts of the world. All

the news and it is presented in a language that is easily understood by the audience, as if they were invited to witness the events firsthand. Thus

the language of journalism was an integral part in the work of journalism.

Dissemination activities through writing more widespread in the Egyptian civilization, when people find the technique of paper making plant

fiber called Phapyrus. After that dissemination of written information developed rapidly since the printing press invented by Gutternberg.

The first printed newspaper published and circulated in China as the “King Pau” since the year 911 AD and 1351 AD Emperor Quang Soo had

circulated newspaper regularly once a week. While the pioneer newspaper as the first news media called “Gazetta” born in Venice, the Italian

State in 1536 AD At that time, the Republic of Venice was a war against the Sultan Sulaiman. At first handwritten newspaper moneychangers

and traders in Rialto write and sell it cheap, but then the newspaper is printed.

The first printed  newspaper that published regularly every day is Gazzete Oxford in England in 1665 AD The newspaper was later renamed the

London Gazzette and when Henry Muddiman became the editor for the first time he had used the term “newspaper”. The term is used by

everyone until now.

In the United States the science of newspaper began to develop since 1690 AD in terms of journalism, and at that time the newspaper has been

published in the form of a modern, Publick Occurences Both Foreign and Domestick, in Boston led by Benjamin Harris

(D Brent Ruben, 1992: 22) .

In the 17th century John Milton led the struggle for freedom of expression in the UK which is famous Areopagitica, A Defence of unlicenced

Printing. Since then not only broadcast news journalism (to inform), but also affects the government and the public (to influence). Struggle John

Milton was followed by John Erskine in the 18th century with his work entitled “The Right of Man”. In the 18th century was also born liberal

press system replace authoritarian press system.

At the University of Bazel, Switzerland journalism for the first time studied academically by Karl Bucher (1847 – 1930) and Max

Weber (1864 – 1920) under the name Zeitungskunde in 1884 AD While in the United States was opened School of Journalism at Columbia

University in 1912 M/1913 M with initiators named Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911).

Throughout the 1960’s in the United States appears the new journalism pioneer who was bored with the old journalism Procedures that are

considered rigid and restrict the movement of journalists on writing techniques and forms of news reporting. They innovate in the presentation

and deeper news coverage and comprehensive. In the current era of new journalism journalists can work creating public opinion and reduce

conflict in the community.