Journalism is the public broadcasting and reporting of news on current affairs based on documentary evidence and corroborated with facts or evidence and reported as a news report. The term journalism applies to both professional and amateur citizen reporters who gather and report news based on documentary evidence and supported by proof or supported by facts. A typical work of journalism would be a feature story, a critical examination of an issue, a review of a film, an essay, a business plan, a press release, and a medical news story. The first two are considered the major categories, while any story that informs, educates, entertains, oriles the reader is in the broad category of news. However, all forms of media in which journalists report or perform their duties are part of the profession of journalism.
Today, with a large number of newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and digital publications, the field of journalism has come a long way. Initially, news reports were not widely disseminated outside the professional circle, and so journalists worked hard to make their work distinctive and attractive to the general reader. With increasing competition from other forms of media and with the growing tendency of consumers to get information from multiple sources, the field of journalism has seen a change in focus and goals. Nowadays, a journalist is expected to have a thorough knowledge of his subject, and he must be able to present it in the best possible manner. Reporters who are not familiar with the subject and do not have good research skills may not be suitable for the job, so it is important for prospective journalists to be well-informed about their subject.
To be a successful journalist, one must be well-read, well-trained, and well-traveled. To be an effective reporter, one must be able to acquire a lot of information and convey it to the audience in the most efficient way. For example, a newspaper journalist must be able to present information in a simple, concise, and comprehensible format. He must know how to present a story in an in-depth reporting way, detailing all the relevant points, providing a balanced and accurate analysis, using correct grammar, proper punctuation, and a properly written, attractive content. The profession of a journalist can be a very challenging one, but also a very rewarding one, particularly in the case of in-depth journalism.
