What is Journalism for?

During week one we looked at three definitions for what is a journalist. We found that Splichal and Sparks (1994) had three definitions that vary significantly. Click here for the lesson notes and a quick review.

Journalism is for:

• Spreading / Sharing useful information.
• Building community.
• Promoting Democracy. 

Journalism was found to be a way of providing citizens with the information they need to be informed and self-governed.

A Brief History of Newspapers

• First newspapers are believed to have been published in China from 618 to 907AD.
• The middle Ages ended, news came in the form of a song and story; news ballads from wandering minstrels.
• Newspapers appeared in Europe from the mid-15th century. 
• The first reqularly published English newspaper is thought to have been the Weekly News, which appeared in 1622. 
• 1609 - oldest and first newspapers evolved. 
• Newspapers led to a rise in 'public opinion'.
• In 1720, two London newspapermen writing under the name of 'Cato' introduced the idea that truth should be spread.
• In 1735 - The birth of the free press in US when John Peter Zenger was acquitted of charges of criticizing the royal governor of New York. 

Australian Press 

The first Australian newspaper was produced in Sydney; weekly called the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. The editor George Howe was a previously a convict and he was the first Australian editor, poet and early printer.

The only locally owned newspaper company in Australia is John Fairfax Holdings Limited (Fairfax).

The other major player, News Limited, controls around 70 percent of newspaper circulation in Australia, moved its corporate headquarters from Adelaide to new York in 2004. 

Capital cities including Brisbane and Adelaide have no locally owned daily newspapers.

Journalism in Society

'Journalism is the first rough draft of history' (Bradlee in Hough 1984: 60)

A Definition of 'News'

US journalism education Melvin Mencher says there are two general guidelines when trying to define news:

1. 'News is information about a break from the normal flow of events, an interruption of the expected'
2. 'News is informed people need to make sound decisions about their lives'

Another way of thinking about news is John B Bogart, city editor of the New York Sun, provided a classic description of news a century ago, "When a dog bites a man it's not news, but when a man bites a dog. That's news"

Six Fundamental Questions

When reporting on a news story six fundamental questions should be answered at some point in order for readers to understand the full situation. 

• What?
• Why?
• When?
• How?
• Where?
• Who? 

The 5 W's and H 

Who, When, What, Where, Why & How.

News values: 

News has several values that include; Impact,  Conflict, Timeliness, Proximity, Prominence, Currency, Human Interest and The Unusual.

Impact - Everything that has a great effect on a large number of people. Though the news may be big in one part of the world but not in another area of the world.
Conflict - After all we go to war therefore good news may also be a clash between people or institutions in other words conflict.
Timeliness - News needs to be immediate and recent.
Proximity - Events geographically or emotionally close to the reader, viewer or listener.
Prominence - Events involving well-known people or institutions and organisations.
Currency - Events and situations that are being talked about, sometimes known as water cooler stories because they spark office gossip.
Human Interest - The people factor people want to know about other people.
The Unusual - Events that deviate sharply from the expected and the experiences of everyday life. (one of the strongest news values). When investigating unusual stories it's best to check your sources are credible.

Remember news can never be perfect.

Practive news stems from investigative reports, exposes, exclusive interviews, and unique photographs or vision.