The meaning of journalism in the 21st century

It is undeniable that as the world becomes more global and more complex, the

meaning of journalism is starting to vary from person to person and country to

country.

Journalism is no longer just collecting, writing, and publishing articles in

newspapers and magazines or broadcasting them on the radio and television.

What is the meaning of a “journalist” in the 21st century?

One of the key reasons cited for this transformation of journalism is the changing

nature of technology, which impacts directly upon the practice of journalism and

access to the profession.

Just a couple of decades ago technology for journalists was limited, with only

heavy, impractical cameras to take photographs or record events. On top of that

there was no such thing as a ‘Smartphone’, there was not even the internet.

A journalist had to have professional qualifications plus a union or association

membership. He or she also had to be paid to work in recognised institutions and

was subject to various laws.

Today everything has become more transparent and accessible with the internet

and social media, meaning anyone and everyone can become a journalist. Some

scholars and academics do not consider these “citizen journalists” to be real

journalists, something that I do not agree with it.

When Twitter was first started in 2006, even its founders probably could not foresee how their social media tool would affect the role of journalism.

If anyone has an ability to create news today, then I think journalism should be

divided into two categories, “professional” vs. “citizen”. In our opinion this

change in news creation can be considered as both positive and negative