Journalism

Guide Note

Journalism refers to the profession of fact and information gathering and then transmitting this news to a wide audience. Although usually associated with and originally applied only to the written word, this transmission of information can now occur through a variety of media including newspaper and magazine articles, radio and television broadcasts, and, more recently, websites.

Journalists rely on the so-called "five Ws": Who, what, when, where, why and how, to retrieve and synthesize the information they need for mass consumption. Journalism is intended to provide merely a factual report without any analysis, interpretation of bias.

Journalists take many forms and report on a wide scope of subjects, from international to local issues, politics, health, education, sports, arts, technology, traffic, weather and entertainment.

Fast Facts

1. Photojournalists include professional photographs in their reports
2. Many journalists have a specific area or topic ("beat") on which they concentrate
3. Most journalists work under strict deadlines
4. After writing their articles, journalists usually submit them to an editor for approval
5. The first regular newspaper was the Oxford Gazette, which was first published in 1665
6. The Oxford Gazette became the London Gazette, which is still in publication
7. Ancient Romans received news reports through a daily handwritten bulletin that was posted in the public square
8. "Journalism" is derived from the French word "journal" which is taken from the Latin "diurnal," meaning "daily"