What Do You Think?

Journalism is more of craft  and not a profession

 Journalism involves identifying newsworthy information for the mass communication. Identifying, gathering and writing news are interdependent and of equal importance to the media. Therefore journalism concerns itself with the gathering and conveying news to a large, diverse audience through the media, whether print (newspapers, magazines, etc) or electronic (radio, television, internet, etc). (Clear, 2011)

 

2.1. WHY JOURNALISM IS REGARDED AS A CRAFT AND NOT A PROFESSION. 

An article by Sam Smith states that journalism has always been a craft- an art- but never a profession. It depends too much on the perception, skill, empathy, and honesty of the practitioner rather than on the acquisition of technical knowledge and skill (www.prorev.com). A good example is when an Al Jazeera reporter was accused on Thursday, January 16, 2014 for fabricating news with the intent of harming Egypt's image abroad.(www.madamasr.com)

Journalism can be seen as a craft as there are more journalist out there with personal blogs with different information ranging from fashion to conspiracies without the necessary need to make a living out of it. The belief is that information is like air. It should be for free and not sold to the highest bidder. Hence, the passion is what drives most of these journalists to take it up as a craft because they do not want to be limited to what is seen as right or wrong by the media houses which they believe are mostly controlled by the same people who they are writing about.

Most people want to gain knowledge and become aware of national and international events. The media satisfy these needs most appropriately because of the variety of information they convey. However for the people to know the whole truth the information must not be diluted in this case happens with professional journalism whereby editors edit the information and make it more favourable to the government so as to avoid scrutiny from them.

The government plays a major role in the distribution of media all over the world, for it can affect the government positively or negatively and the people within that country. According to the article "many journalist have become glamour figure or immediate public personalities, especially those reporting investigating journalism, exposing corruption at the government level in South Africa. In fact, in the view of several social critics, journalists have become part of new society dubbed ''mediacracy,'' described as a public aristocracy of people important''. This shows how much power the government has over the media. Therefore, through mediacracy, free journalist practicing their craft are able to expose the truth with no limitations unlike a professional journalist who has to pass through an editor (sub-editor, etc) before publication.

Journalism as a craft shows that these type of journalists practice their craft for fun, making creative decisions and to pass time with the knowledge of giving out information that is of worth to the media. However journalism is also seen as a profession because one can make a living (earn money) through it. A journalist who makes a living through it works for specific media organizations. They gather information/ news during work hours and present newsworthy reports to the organization they are working for. (Clear, 2011)

It is a profession because it is a course offered in Universities all over the world. Many journalists go to colleges to get a degree and have that competitive advantage in a competitive field. Journalism is regarded as a profession because journalists receive instructions from the news editors and also gather news on their own initiative (which means that they not bound to the office or normal office hours) because they need to go out regularly to cover events in their effort to obtain information. (Clear, 2011)

A professional journalist works under pressure because he or she has to meet the medium's deadlines. they have to work with public relation practitioners and freelancers to fill this role because a freelance journalist does not work under a specific organization. Journalists often rewrite or change these news items before presenting them in the style of the medium. Journalism concerns itself with informing the general public, whereas public relation is all about informing internal and external groups. (Clear, 2011).

A professional journalist comes across various information when they go out in the field but out of all the information they would have conveyed it is possible that the news presented is not of worth or importance and need to search in deeper lengths for their story to be a front page. These journalists tasks is not easy for they have to present something to their editors and meet their deadlines unlike a free journalist who can present whatever information they happen to find whether it is newsworthy or not, to them its valid.

3.1.CONCLUSION 

This assignment gave a broader understanding of why journalism is more of a craft than a profession. Various reasons have been discussed in relation to why it is more of a craft that a profession. This assignment covered what journalism means, what a journalist does and what role he or she plays in the media field. How messages are conveyed to the general public. It also looked at what craft means and how a free journalist practicing their craft can present to the general public as well. 
 

This assignment somewhat gave a better understanding to both journalism as a craft and as a profession. However to conclude journalism is a craft because one is able to express their views, opinions, thoughts and making of ideas without discrimination, scrutiny, and judgment or selected words or pieces that should be provided to the medium or mass media.

4.1.SOURCES CONSULTED 

Clear, A. 2011. Dynamics of Public Relation and Journalism 3rd edition: Juta Cape town Leiter, K, Harriss, J & Johnson, S. 2000. The Complete Reporter. 7th edition. Allyn and Bacon.

http://www.madamsar.com/content/aje-journalists-charged-falsifying-news-threatening-security.htm [Accessed on 2014, February 24]

http://www.prorev.com/jcraft.htm. [Accessed on 2014, February 24]

http://www.journalism.com[Accessed on 2014, February 24]