What is journalism? Who is a journalist?

Journalism is the product of a journalist. A journalist is someone who researches and reports, writes and edits. He or she is the insider who brings hidden things to view. Despite personal opinions, the writer attempts to present a balanced view of a situation. In writing, the thesis is defined and backed with specific and related concrete detail from both points of view. Commentary and opinion are minimized. It is the journalist’s job to make extracted information interesting to the audience, and let the audience decide for itself what its opinion is.

Journalism, however, is not neutral. It is biased by nature, and as such must be read with a critical eye. It is compiled and sold to the general public in order to educate and to sway opinion. Journalism is a written form of media, a branch of the business that appeals to the educated and those who seek knowledge. In order for it to thrive, it must appeal to its audience. It must adapt to the environment, and compete in areas that may threaten its popularity, and even its existence.

But is journalism relevant to today’s society? Is it limited to hard copy or does it encompass the internet as well? If it is only on paper, it may not survive the culture it depends on and supports. Transferring from newspaper stands to websites may be necessary to adapt to a changing world. After all, written history had to adapt when the printing press was invented. Information sharing was no longer limited to monks in monasteries copying books for the nobles. Journalism was born from the increased accessibility of the printed word. Now that print decreases, journalism must adapt. Freedom of the press no longer means exactly what it did when the Constitution of the United States included the clause in its time-worn document. The press has become even more public, as anyone with access to a computer and the internet can post information, true and false, and opinions can be shared by commenting on someone else’s work, at little or no cost to the people involved.

So the question is, can journalism survive when so many people can share information and ideas without spending as much as they did when journals were popular?