Finding Journalism

“The purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments.” (What is the Purpose of Journalism, 2022) It is this quote that keeps me wondering about the role of journalism in society. Is that all that journalism is responsible for? Even in today’s New World with all its changes and development? If it is so, then are we really so sure that the power to influence the audience and their decisions, thoughts, and opinions, lies with the media?

Journalism, in its inception years, assumed the role of a ‘watchdog’. It played the part of a dutiful guard dog who protected the society by warning or alerting them of any event that may affect their livelihood. This news could help people prepare, avoid or adapt to situations whenever necessary. Today, can it still be said that journalism fulfills its role of being the fourth estate of society? I argue against the fact and here’s why: Journalism has become more malleable than ever before.

I say malleable to mean that journalism, instead of having one singular assumed function, is now being molded to fill any form that the audience wants. The uses and gratifications model, suggested by McQuail et al.(1972), proposed the idea that the media and journalism as a whole can be used as entertainment, source of identity, for surveillance of private and public purposes, as well as to cement social solidarity. (Livesey and Blundell, 2019)
In Yasmin Alibhai-Brown’s article, ‘Blend it Like Britain’, she expresses her experiences of being a woman of colour in a predominantly ‘white’ country, through the means of a movie review. The target audience in this article becomes expansive, ranging through avid movie-lovers, to minorities in society.

Another major change that Journalism has gone through is diversification. Through the globalization that swept society over the years, the target audience for journalists has become heavily heterogenous. Another responsibility for journalism to bear, thus, becomes inclusion and representation. Different social groups have access to all the information at the tip of their fingertips, meaning perceptions of the same article will differ based on an individual’s reinforced beliefs. I urge you to also look at it from another perspective. The diversification of the newsroom also affects the content written and reproduced. “The news content the media provides should be an accurate reflection of the diverse society it serves. As such, to reflect this society, we need to make sure that journalists from different cultures, religions and genders are represented.” (Bourgault, 2022).

"Some kind of justice in a society is essential because necessary or desired goods like the news coverage are usually scarce and people have different perceptions about what they need to ensure their own welfare." (Altmeppen, Arnold and Kossler, 2022) To be put quite simply, Journalism and its responsibility on society has grown further than just ‘news-reporting’. It is now a source of catharsis for the audience which proves that in its essence, journalism creates, shapes and binds society. Journalism has become the cement of the New World, and with that, I rest my case.

Reference List

• americanpressinstitute.org. 2022. What is the Purpose of Journalism. [online] Available at: <https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/purpose-journalism/> [Accessed 17 February 2022].

• Livesey, C. and Blundell, J., 2019. Sociology for Cambridge AS & A Level - Coursebook. 2nd ed. Spain: Cambridge University Press, p.233.

• Bourgault, J., 2022. Diversity in the newsroom can build better media. Here's why. [online] World Economic Forum. Available at: <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/diversity-in-news-media/> [Accessed 17 February 2022].

• Altmeppen, K., Arnold, K. and Kossler, T., 2022. Are the Media Capable of Reporting? Remarks on the Principle of Fairness in Professional Journalism. 1st ed. [ebook] Berlin Hiedelberg: Klaus-Dieter Altmeppen, p.330. Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279524926_Are_the_Media_Capable_of_Fair_Reporting_Remarks_on_the_Principle_of_Fairness_in_Professional_Journalism_Fairness_and_Unfairness_in_Journalism#fullTextFileContent> [Accessed 17 February 2022].