Journalism in a Rapidly Changing world.

Journalism in a Rapidly Changing world.
The concept of Journalism has been variously conceptualized by different people of diverse background. However, some common features expounded by the many people that have defined the concept is that it is the aggregation, writing, editing and presentation of news or news articles on a particular event backed with facts for the purpose of informing the public. There are varying means through which the information can be put forward for public consumption including: print media, electronic and broadcast media.
A timeless hallmark of journalism is objectivity in reportage. Qualitative journalism should be bereft of reflection of the bias of the journalist. A good journalism is assessed on the metric of how research oriented and in-depth it is. Through investigative journalism, journalists painstakingly furnish themselves with the requisite facts and figures to build up their news and, therefore, gain public confidence, most especially in this era of ‘fake news’. He or she should be wary of not whipping up peoples’ emotion especially in a highly tensed atmosphere. A journalist should be an avid reader and a fervent observer in other to keep tab with events as they unfold instead of following from behind.
The dynamics of Journalism has transmutated over the years as the world continues to evolve and advance not only in the area of information technology but also in sociopolitical and economic sphere. For instance, the advent of the internet, especially the social media, has marked a watershed in the art and science of journalism. Instantaneous information explosion has become the norm. Thanks to smart phones that are readily available to the populace at a very affordable price, unlike in the past that it were at the exclusive preserve of the elites.
More so, waves of democratization, which has virtually engulfed every political entity, has given a new lease of life to journalism most especially in the third world countries that were hitherto autocratic states and under military jackboot. The nascent democratic nature of these states has given a relative breathing space to press freedom. In fact , press freedom is intricately intertwined with democratic governance that any effort towards shortchanging it is being largely perceived as subversion of democratic norm and sign of bad governance.
Currently, the monopolistic tendency of the states in owning and determining the trajectory of the media is gradually whittling down. Today, there are many commercialized media companies that transmit news both online and offline. Government strenuously struggles to regulate the activities of social media users that they perceive to be detrimental to them. A recent case in point is the use of social media by the Nigerian youths to organize a nationwide protest against SARS brutality and other anomalies within the political system. It is now very difficult for less developed country to clamp down on news media outfit as a result of some sophistication of sort and high level of advancement inherent in information technology today. Citizens can now navigate the restrictive noose of government policies that aim to stymieing media freedom by being in the comfort of their rooms and give live broadcast through any social media platform such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter among others.
Moreover, it is worthy of note that the task of a journalist has also widened as the society is increasingly becoming complex. The journalists’ work is no longer restricted to giving out hollow embellished news with a whole lot of artistic style. It behooves a seasoned journalist and the media in general to bring to the fore news ridden with economic value within the society for the benefit of the masses. In this regard, a journalist should strike a balance between bringing the various available economic opportunities to the purview of the general public without deviating from his primary purpose of news reportage.
In a nutshell, the overriding influence of journalism in our world today cannot be overemphasized upon. Journalism has virtually cut across every facet of human existence that one can rightly argue that no country in the world can thrive without the media. Consequently, many countries and individual investors that have realized the huge impact of media in the modern world are investing heavily in this sector, a case in point being Qatar (Aljazeera) and Bloomberg, by Michael Bloomberg.
Huge media outfit like CNN, Aljazeera , BBC, Reuters, Bloomberg among others are very powerful and influential across the globe. They influence and most often determine the trajectory of public opinion on issues. They project the cultural practices and way of lives of their host countries as ideals to the global stage. They also help in the projection and marketing of the inventions, innovations and technological breakthrough of their host states.
In addition, these media outfits have, more often than not, exposed the many atrocities committed by government on her citizens. For instance, Al jazeera has continually exposed war crimes perpetrated in Syria and Yemen. Then again, the incarceration of Uighur people by Chinese authority are seriously being denounced by CNN and BBC alike.