What does a journalist do?

Journalism can entail a variety of skills and tasks ranging from the practicing of writing stories to investigating them. Journalists must therefore use these practices and bring them into everyday news.

Essentially, a journalist is simply reporting the news. Although that sounds obvious, it is more work and more difficult than what meets the eye. Journalists must find the most interesting and accurate information for a story to be successful. With the internet and viral media reaching more and more viewers, journalists must find the most appealing to stories to write about and how to portray them. By using pictures, videos and other individuals, journalists attempt to create an interesting story to inform the mass media.

What do journalists do?

According to dictionary.com a journalist is, "a person who practices the occupation or profession of journalism", it also defines journalist as "a person who keeps a journal, diary, or other record of daily events". Journalists have a lot of responsibilities within their industry. Journalists have to research stories to get all the facts. They must interview many people to get all the facts right, and to get that individuals side of the story. Before journalists write they must complete all their research. Once they get all of the facts they can start writing the story or news. They write the news in their preferred way but all journalists will tell you who, what, where, when, why and how something has happened. Journalists will also take pictures to use to use visual media to help their news story.

Journalists have to be on call 24/7 because if his or her boss calls and says there is something happening, no matter what time day or night, the journalists must get to the scene and start reporting the news and do their research. Journalists are key to news stories because, like everyone, no one is perfect, and errors can make or break a journalists' lifestyle. If he or she reports the news falsely or doesn't do all the research, he or she will most likely be fired. It is very important for all journalists to be very precise and factual.

What is news? What is media?

News is something that interests various audiences on various topics. News is something that hasn't been brought to these various audiences' attention yet. We are surrounded by news every day on either a small scale or a big scale. According to dictionary.com news is defined as, "a report of a recent event; intelligence; information". Dictionary.com also says that news is, "a presentation of a report on recent or new events in a newspaper or other periodical or on radio or televisions". Newspapers. radio, or television is considered media. Media is the way we receive the news. News is read or seen by audiences through media tools or outlets. The way we receive the news is through media. Media these days are very easily accessible because of technological advancements and the way we abuse these technologies. We find ourselves on facebook, our smart phones, and other tools and are exposed to news constantly.

In order for something to be considered news, reporters and other related professionals use factors to determine if something is news or not. These factors are impact, proximity, timeliness, prominence, novelty, conflict, and audience. Once something is determined news, the news needs a media outlet to tell the audience about it. Media is used to communicate information, or news, in presentations which can use sounds, pictures, videos, typing, and other forms of media outlets. Media is the bridge from news to the audiences.

Journalists are professional reporters of news and current events. Essentially, what they do is write stories. They write about the weather, politics, international affairs, local occurrences and so much more. Journalists report through several different mediums. The most traditional ones are newspapers, magazines, television and the radio. Nowadays, journalists also write for websites, social networks and blogs.

Journalists must be ruthless when it comes to uncovering the truth about a story. They have to do extensive research and make sure it is all accurate. Investigative journalists usually have to dig for information.

Another part of a journalist’s job is that he or she must be ready to move and travel around. News can take place at any time of the day or night in any place around the world. For instance, CNN reporters were in Cairo a couple of hours after the protests began this week. All of these components make up what a journalist does. The print industry, television and websites rely heavily on journalists because they are the one that do the actual research and writing behind the published work that we read.

What do journalists do?

The question would have had a very simple answer twenty or thirty years ago: they report the news. The journalists of yesteryear were charged with a few tasks, but they all involved selecting and reporting news to the people. Journalists defined what was news, what was to be reported, and how it should be reported. In the heavily electronic climate of the modern media universe, however, journalists are no longer the primary gatekeepers of information. Citizens themselves now take an active role in disseminating information, whether through Twitter, Facebook, or blogs. On sites like Digg and StumbleUpon, users decide what is important, relevant, and of interest.

The role of the journalist in modern society is facing substantial change. This is not necessarily good or bad—it is simply transformative. Whereas journalists used to be suppliers or sources of information, they must now act as managers and moderators of information. While citizen participation in news and journalism is a healthy and promising addition to the field, it also carries the hazards of questionable quality news and information overload. Journalists must now be trained to communicate information via multiple channels—print, online, audio, and so on. More now than ever, journalists are here to help citizens sort through a truly massive amount of information. The goal of the modern journalist is not simply to report the news—the journalist must report the best news, commentary, and analysis. News is no longer a mere report; it is now a public dialogue that engages across multiple levels.

What do journalists do?

Dictionary.com defines the term journalist as “a person who keeps a journal, diary, or other record of daily events”. This is true, because journalists are always writing down what they see and hear they are the people of the world whom do several things to get the news out to the public. Journalists are renowned for digging deep and going undercover to uncover what the world needs to know.

Journalists use several mediums to get out their information, whether it be on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, or the Internet, print news, and radio. The problem with journalism is that not all of it may be true. Websites such as TMZ or magazines such as the National Enquirer include fake or exaggerated stories that will gain notoriety. Everyone that writes on these mediums may not all be professional. Many “journalists” post blogging sites, or have a radio show where they just express their feelings on one topic or another. Others will post their information from their field of interest on several mediums, as they may report on television as well in a newspaper and/or magazine. The benefit to journalism is the same with the benefit to news media: it is the way we keep up with what is happening in the world. Because of journalism around the world, we do care about what’s going on in Egypt, and not just what is happening in our local region or country.

What do journalists do?

As defined in the dictionary, a journalist is “a person who writes for newspapers or magazines or prepares news to be broadcast on radio or television”. But in this day and age, with the convergence of journalism with new media landscapes such as blogs, Podcasts, Wikis, social networking and other online media, journalism has become much more than just newspapers and television. Journalists, today, are not only writing for newspapers and magazines or broadcasting news on television and radio, but they’re gathering and writing the news on many established websites of the mainstream media. With that being said, journalism has become to be not only a profession for those trained in the field, but also a hobby for many people around the globe who have established blogs, online journals, and other ways to contribute to the news, allowing ordinary citizens to participate in the phenomenon, changing the face of journalism. But regardless, journalists of all kinds always strive to do one thing: inform their readers of what’s going on in the most effective way possible. To do so, most journalists will investigate and research news events, gather information, and write stories, regardless of whether they’re an established professional or simply an eager blogger.

What is news? What is media?

How do you tell a story? Do you adapt it for your audience? Are there certain rules to follow when telling a story? What makes one story more important than another one? While the word ‘story’ might recall things like picture books or soap operas, a story is, at its heart, a form of communication. A story can inform, entertain, or inspire people. News is essentially storytelling. When a person gossips with a friend, they are participating in a very crude and localized form of news. When a reporter writes about an election, they are producing news that is relevant, useful, and interesting to a far wider audience than a personal conversation. Both of these examples show, however, that all news is reported information.

What about the presentation of the report? This is where the word ‘media’ comes in. By definition, ‘media’ is a plural of ‘medium’ and refers to the channels through which people digest and process the reported news: television, newspapers, blogs, and so on. Yet ‘media’ is sometimes used to refer to the companies and publishers who control such channels of information. For example, when someone mentions ‘the media,’ they are likely referring to news outlets like CBS, The New York Times, or magazines. Generally speaking, though, ‘media’ is simply the means through which we acquire our stories, reports, and information.

What is news? What is media?

News has two priorities: it must be current and it must mean something to people. The objective of news is to inform the audience. It's the job of all the news to tell people what's going on in their community locally, nationally, or globally. In this sense, the news media provide a valuable public service.

In general, media refers to various means of communication. For example, television, radio, and the newspaper are different types of media. In the news world, media is essentially the form in which the news is distributed and observed. Audiences today can get news and information from many different sources. This increased competition is putting pressure on media outlets to attract advertising dollars to keep them running.

The media has changed a lot in history. Fifty years ago everyone read the newspaper because everyone wanted to find out what is going on. Another option of media for the news back then was the radio and the news truly expanded when television was invented. However now it seems that the internet is the dominant form of news and media. Almost anyone can access countless news story by just clicking a few buttons on a computer. This technology is significantly slowing the distribution of newspapers and other news media.

What Do Journalists Do?

Journalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media.”  So one would say that a journalist would be a professional, whose job is to write and/or edit the news in order to present it through some form of media.  But what do these writing professionals actually do?  The answer is of a vast nature, involving many various activities.  These activities can be divided into three categories, gathering information, writing material, and editing material. 

Information gathering is the foundation of good journalism.  A story or piece can’t be properly written without first gathering facts.  These facts can be gathered via on-site gathering, interviews or internet searching.  When these facts and information is found, the writing process can begin. 

Writing a story can be a challenging task for a journalist.  The story must be short and informative and also engaging so the viewers or readers will be interested.  Often having time or space constraints, journalists are required to fit a lot of information in a little bit of space.  They also need to work on the title of the story, because this is what the reader will first see. 

When the story is done being written, it must be vigorously edited.  Any sort of error can lead to the story sounding less credible or could even mess with details of the story.  It is crucial for the story to be mistake free, both grammatically and information wise.  If all of these pieces of journalism are followed correctly, it will show in the story, allowing for a very informative and interesting story. 

What is media? and what is news?

News and media: two words that are synonymous. It shapes our lives to what we talk about and how we act a second at a time. Media is everywhere telling stories about the world everyday. Media is involved when youre on the way to work and you hear an advertisement on the radio about McDonald’s McRib sandwich. It’s around when you’re on that same drive to work and you see billboards and even the songs you are listening to on that radio playing the McRib advertisement. In this day and age, people cannot escape media because it is everywhere.

News is the same way. It includes nightly newscasts talking of a robbery in Boston to the Chilean minors being rescued after a month underground. It informs us about current events that we can react to, and critique how the stories are being told. For example, we can witness reporters being angry about the news they present such as MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski ripping up a story on Paris Hilton being released from jail as headline news more so than something political.Many of us regularly watch the same channels, often many hours of the day, as the news is constantly running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All in all, news is good for the world because if we do not know what is going on, what would we talk about?

What is News? What is Media?

Our society has become largely dependent on media and news.    Our lives have become to the point where it is unimaginable to not be “plugged in” in some way to a piece of technology, whether it is television, IPods, cell phones or any other media device.   But even before these devices, media has played a prominent role in our society.  Things such as newspapers, magazines and radio have all been great sources of media that have gotten their starts as early as the 1900s. 

News, as defined by dictionary.com, is a “report of a recent event, intelligence or information.”  News is used as an education purpose for masses of people so they know what is going on at a local or national level.  The beautiful thing about news is that no matter what, there will be relevant news for all types of people.  People can get news based on local stories, sports, music, entertainment or national stories. 

Our society has shaped news in a way that it is easily influenced by media, as well as easily accessed by media.   Everybody has their favorite radio or television station, website, newspaper or magazine.  Media has made it so that news is only a click away, from a computer, cell phone or even IPod.  The point to be made here is that although there will always be news, it will be the technologies or various media that will convey it to the general population. 

What do journalists do?

Webster's English dictionary defines a journalist as, 'a person who writes for newspapers or magazine or prepares news to be broadcast on radio or television'. This definition may be true in the broadest sense but a journalist is much more than what the public sees at face value. A journalist in my opinion does a kaleidoscope of things, because they are constantly redefining the job title by keeping current with the advancements in technology and media. They must evolve persistently just to keep up with our world’s culture. Society has gone from newspapers sourcing out information, to television and radio to now online blogs and other resources. Journalists must be able to decipher what news holds value and interest to the public, information that people will want to spend time reading and learning. The ability to adjust a story to interest the public is a necessity; this way the news will be told, but can be directed in a way that appeals to a wide range of audiences. What a journalist does in my opinion must go undefined because in reality, their job description will always have essential characteristics just like those found in the Webster’s English Dictionary definition but all other duties of journalists are constantly evolving, an aspect of the position itself.

What is media? What is News?

The News and the Media are so entrenched in today’s society that it is nearly impossible to conceive our lives without them. News is a series of reports on the happenings around us and in the rest of the world. News coverage can range from a description of an act of violence in the Middle East, to the president’s latest speech and then to which celebrity won which award. No matter what the story is, there will inevitably be a group of people that will be interested in hearing or reading about it. Journalistic scholars judge the value of news according to three criteria: relevance, usefulness and interest.

The news is projected through the media, which can take many forms. Newspapers, television, radio, magazines, websites and so on are all different types of media that feed us our daily news. With today’s powerful technology, we can receive the news instantaneously even if it’s taking place in another country. People, organizations and even governments rely heavily on both the media and the news.

What is news? What is media?

News and the media are two essential aspects of our society, not only in the United States but also all over the world. The two areas of media communication are what allow people to obtain information regarding the goings on in different parts of the world; it connects us all. News in my perspective is acknowledged as the tangible information that we hear about daily, it's the actual events and stories that keep the public up to date. News comes in the form of the daily weather report, local news, or even celebrity gossip on E!. Being informed of the news is something people seem to take for granted as part of our every day lives without realizing how monotonous it has become. With that being said, media is any method of choice whether it's television, radio, magazine, etc; that filters the news into the eye of the public. Media is an evolving form of communication, keeping journalists on their toes, which goes hand and hand with the rapid development of news in this day and age. With out these tools, the world would have no knowledge of foreign affairs; communication between nations and people would be slim. I personally believe that society is so dependent on the media in regards to obtaining knowledge, that due to its versatility and ability to evolve, media will be a lasting form of communication.

What is news? What is media?

What is media? Well, although it may seem vague, media can be just about anything. Media is the newspaper you read on the way to work, the television program you watch with your friends, and the music you listen to on your iPod. Today, mass media plays a second to second role in our lives.

What is news? News can be defined as information about recent events in your area or even on a global scale. News allows us to be united and on the same page as the millions that take part in watching it. Likewise, news helps provide protection and security. It tells us not to go outside due to hurricane warnings, not to eat certain foods because of an E. Coli scare, and to aid fellow people in need after tragedy has struck. Without news on radio, in newspaper, on television and on the internet, we would find it very difficult to discover things we take for granted (i.e. weather reports, natural disasters, acts of violence).

Receiving news through the media is ultimately the most important form of mass communication. With the constant surrounding of media and the importance of informative news, modern day society has become increasingly more dependent on them and will continue to be as long as it exists.

What is news? What is media?

News and media are two aspects of our culture that essentially go hand in hand.

News, as defined in the dictionary, is “Newly received or noteworthy information especially about recent or important events”. News can really be described as any sort of current event or happening that may occur, more specifically though, news, such as news that is aired or recorded in the newspaper, is information that is “of broad interest to the intended audience” (Handbook of Independent Journalism). In other words, news is most often information that is both current and of significant importance to the people of the community.

We get our news through media, specifically news media. Media is the main means of mass communication, such as television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet. News media holds the important job of informing the community - locally, nationally and globally, what exactly is going on. This news can be accessed through all the different forms of media, such as from news stations on television and radio, newspapers, news journals, and online newspapers and blogs. Having media landscapes provides us with the most efficient and effective way to gather information about current events.

So in essence, news and media go hand in hand because without media, there would be very few ways to access current events immediately and effectively.

Welcome Spring 2011 students!

Blogging is a way to communicate to the class about a topic of discussion.

Each week the class will blog about subjects related to our chapter topics. It is a good idea to read the book chapter before blogging. The blog subjects are posted on the syllabus by week.

The blog deadline for each week is 5pm Monday. Make sure you blogs are written in Times Roman with a large, 12 point font. Write your blog the way you would write any story with a strong lede, body, and conclusion.

Blogging also means commenting on others comments, so that there is an exchange of ideas. If this is your first time blogging, please remember to cite sources of material you may need to quote in your blog. Also if you choose to use a link be sure to post it correctly: http://howtoblog.org/