Introduction to Journalism

School of Communication Arts & Science

Prof. Jaewon Joo

WhatIsJournalism

• Journalism came from the French word ‘le jour’ (of the day)

• Journalism covers a huge range of output across all media

• Most people rely on journalism for surveillance

• Journalism has important influence in people’s views and attitudes

• Journalism involves the sifting and editing of information, comments and events into a form that is recognizably different from

the pure form in which they first occurred

WhatIsNews

• News is a noun clearly linked with journalism

• The usual definition of news something that is ‘new, interesting and true’

• 11 factors that influence whether an event is regarded as news

1) Frequency 2) Threshold 3) Clarity 4) Meaningful5) Consonance 6) Unexpected 7) Continuity 8) Composition

9) Concentration 10) Person-centered (Human interest) 11) Negativity

• Journalism is about more than reporting ‘news’

HistoryOfJournalism At the beginning…

Caves at Lascaux, France (BC 15,000) Caves at Altamira, Spain (BC 12,000)

HistoryOfJournalism

Movable type of print

The first known movable type of print system was invented in China by Bi Sheng out of ceramic (1041-1048)

HistoryOfJournalism

Metal movable type was first invented in Korea during the Goryeo (Koryo) Dynasty (around 1230)

Goryeo Jikji

Movable type of print

HistoryOfJournalism

Movable type of print

Fast forward to 1450, Germany, & Johannes Gutenberg!

HistoryOfJournalism

Movable type of print

• Print journalism available to a mass public during the English Civil War (mid-17 C)

• The London Gazette (1666, the world’s oldest periodical)

• Penny Press boom in the US, 1830s

Core PrinciplesOfJournalism

1. Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth

2. Its first loyalty is to citizens

3. Its essence is a discipline of verification

4. Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover

5. It must serve as an independent monitor of power

6. It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise

7. It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant

8. It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional

9. Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience

Core PrinciplesOfJournalism

1. Truth

- Journalism can pursue truth in a practical sense.

- This “journalistic truth” is a process that begins with the professional

discipline of assembling and verifying facts.

- Journalists try to convey a fair and reliable account of their meaning,

valid for now, subject to further investigation.

Core PrinciplesOfJournalism

2. Citizens

-Journalists in news organisations must maintain allegiance to citizens

and the larger public interest above any other if they are to provide the

news without fear or favor.

- This commitment to citizens first is the basis of a news organisation’s

credibility.

- Commitment to citizens also means journalism should present a

representative picture of all constituent groups in society.

Core PrinciplesOfJournalism

3. Verification

-Journalists rely on a professional discipline for verifying information.

- It does not mean that journalists are free of bias. Rather it called for a

consistent method of testing information – a transparent approach to

evidence.

- This discipline of verification is what separates journalism from other

modes of communication, such as propaganda, fiction or entertainment.

Core PrinciplesOfJournalism

4. Independence

- Independence is an underlying requirement of journalism, a

cornerstone of its reliability.

- Independence of spirit and mind, rather than neutrality, is the principle

journalists must keep in focus.

- Journalists must avoid any tendency to stray into arrogance, elitism,

isolation or nihilism.

Core PrinciplesOfJournalism

5. Monitor of Power

- Journalism has an unusual capacity to serve as watchdog over those

whose power and position most affect citizens.

- This to be a rampart (fortification) against despotism (absolute rule).

- Journalists must avoid any tendency to stray into arrogance, elitism,

isolation or nihilism.

Core PrinciplesOfJournalism

6. Forum for Public Criticism and Compromise

- The news media are the common carrier of public discussion.

- This discussion serves society best when it is informed by facts rather

than prejudice and supposition.

- Accuracy and truthfulness are required in this process.

Core PrinciplesOfJournalism

7. Significant interesting and relevant

- Journalism is storytelling with a purpose.

- It must balance what readers know they want with what they cannot

anticipate but need.

- Journalists must continually ask what information has most value to

citizens and in what form.

Core PrinciplesOfJournalism

8. Comprehensive and Proportional

- Keeping news in proportion and not leaving important things out are

also cornerstones of truthfulness.

- Journalism creates a map for citizens to navigate society.

- Journalism should include news of all our communities, not just those

with attractive demographics. (Diversity of Perspectives)

Core PrinciplesOfJournalism

9. Personal Conscience

- Every journalist must have a personal sense of ethics and responsibility.

- This stimulates the intellectual diversity necessary to understand and

accurately cover an increasingly diverse society.

Main ElementsOfNews

1. Timeliness (시의성)

2. Proximity (근접성)

3. Prominence (중요성)

4. Consequence (영향력)

5. Human Interest (흥미)

6. Conflict (갈등, 논란)

PurposeOf Journalism

1. Informed Citizen

- “Journalism itself can do little to reduce the political imbalance

between citizens and the economic, political and other organisations.”

(Herbert J. Gans)

- The central purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with accurate

and reliable information they need to function in a free society.

- Serving as being entertainment, watchdog and offering voice to the

voiceless

PurposeOf Journalism

2. Informed Media

- To provide knowledge about all aspect of media

3. Focus on people’s issue

- Journalism emphasizes on writing and reading literature on people’s

issues.

PurposeOf Journalism

4. Promotion of multi-perspectival approach

- Journalism promotes values and ideology of the profession with a

purpose to project a multi-perspectival approach.

-Multi-perspectivism means reporting all ideas that could resolve issues

and help problems, even if the ideas come from ideologically small

groups.

5. Sociological context

- Journalism need to be more sociological – more about understanding

and interpreting what underlines experience.