Journalist is a person who is more or less professionally engaged in journalism through any medium, be it written press, radio, television and / or digital media. The work of the journalist is associated with the investigation of news or problems of public interest and current affairs through various verifiable sources for dissemination. The figure of the journalist is broad and, according to his medium of work, he can occupy the role of reporter, editor, editor, photographer, designer, technician and others.
From a historical point of view, the first practices that could be defined as journalistic correspond to the chronicles about warlike events or heroic stories from ancient cultures. In more recent times, descriptions of the journeys of modern-age researchers and conquerors became available. In this sense, for many experts, the blog written by the Italian chronicler Pigaffeta during the trip of Magellan and Elcano constitutes the first journalistic account of Western civilization.
If we talk about the principles that govern this practice, we cannot ignore the search for and respect for the truth, investigative rigor and the dissemination of information relevant to public opinion. When it refers to the study of professional journalistic practices, it speaks of the deontology of the journalist. These variables are of cardinal importance, since one of the temptations of the broadcast media, induced on many occasions by the imperative need for commercial revenue, consists of the notification of content that has not been duly checked, which motivates the generation of "false news", in open opposition to the fundamental truth-seeking premise that characterizes journalism.
A journalist can have different specializations, such as environmental, historical, economic, cultural, political or scientific journalism. In recent times, many professionals in these areas have dabbled in journalism, giving rise to a reverse phenomenon. Therefore, athletes or former athletes who have ventured into sports chronicles are observed, as well as health professionals dedicated to the scientific press.
Associated with the notion of journalism are the concepts of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, which at different times in history and in various countries under both authoritarian and democratic regimes are not always respected. In some areas of the world, the profession of journalism is considered high risk and organizations such as Reporters Without Borders are responsible for investigating and promoting the transparent and free exercise of journalism. Correspondents abroad and in areas of armed conflict are in a particular situation of risk, which makes them vulnerable.
The digital revolution and the emergence of new technologies has meant the emergence of a new type of journalist, who some qualify as a cyberjournalist. This new journalism is practiced through applications coming from Web 2.0 and, in many cases, involves a much more direct and active participation on the part of the reader and the citizen. More and more the media have become aware of the relevance of the viewer in the construction of reliable and high-impact news, and in turn citizens have learned to demand more accurate and far-reaching journalism for their own interests.
As a corollary of these changes, it has been pointed out that anyone with access to a computer system and a social network can act as a kind of journalist. In reality, these digital resources have motivated a high degree of interaction between the common citizen and the mass media. Consequently, many mainstream journalistic institutions, even some centuries old, have modified the way they present themselves to make way for strategies such as newsletters, feeds, dissemination through Twitter or Facebook and the possibility of receiving comments and opinions from various sources. However, according to experts, this true information revolution will not only not be associated with the extinction of journalism as a discipline, but, on the contrary, will lead to its strengthening, based on the growing need to disseminate news to an increasing proportion of potential subjects interested in access to information.
