Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information. It is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. Journalism can be distinguished from other activities and products by certain identifiable characteristics and practices. These elements not only separate journalism from other forms of communication, they are what make it indispensable to democratic societies. Some of the different types of journalism include:
- Broadcast journalism: written or spoken journalism for radio or television.
- Political journalism: coverage of all aspects of politics and political science.
- Sports journalism: writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions.
- Tabloid journalism: writing that is light-hearted and entertaining. Considered less legitimate than mainstream journalism.
- Yellow journalism (or sensationalism): journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers.
- News journalism: reporting on current events and facts.
- Opinion journalism: writing that expresses the authors opinion on a particular topic.
- Investigative journalism: reporting that uncovers information that is not readily available to the public.
The elements of journalism include assembling and verifying facts, conveying a fair and reliable account of their meaning, and balancing what readers know they want with what they cannot anticipate but need. The purpose of journalism is to give people the information they need to make better decisions about their lives and society. Good journalists are characterized by their curiosity and love for reading and finding out as much as they can about the world around them. Journalism is our modern cartography, creating a map for citizens to navigate society.
