Journalism is known as the activity of periodically making public certain information of various types and tenor.
Professional activity that deals with reporting on current events that interest a large number of people
The process begins with the collection of information, followed by classification and elaboration, to finally be disseminated through the various mass media, radio, television, written press, and in recent years we cannot ignore the tremendous participation of the internet, especially in the dissemination of current news.
The main characteristic of information always is to be current and to be renewed moment by moment, which is why the name of the activity comes precisely from that quality of constant renewal.
Journalism is today one of the most important elements of the communication media since it is journalists who investigate, publish and comment on different events that have to do with economic, political, cultural or sporting phenomena.
An ever-present activity that has evolved to various eras and technological evolution
It is considered that, as such, journalism has always existed in human societies since man always had the need to transmit important information and to keep abreast of various facts or events.
While in Modernity journalism began to gain importance through the printing and publication of short gazettes, and it would not be until the 19th century, and especially until the 20th century, that journalism would not become one of the central parts of all society thanks to the enormous diffusion that mass media such as newspapers, radio or television achieved in a timely manner.
The fourth estate: independence and objectivity
We cannot ignore that journalism plays a relevant social role, a fact that led it to be considered the fourth estate.
However, in the name of this impressive power attributed to it and which makes it capable of directly influencing what society thinks, it is essential and essential that journalism report on current events in an objective manner.
Another substantial and inherent issue in the exercise of journalism is the independence with which journalism acts. To guarantee it, it is essential that the media maintain and enforce their informative autonomy in the face of any pressure exerted by another sphere of power, such is the case of politics, the business community, among others.
Surplus cases of reality show us that when there is no informational independence, events of public interest can be manipulated and the direct consequence will be public misinformation.
Meanwhile, whoever exercises the professional activity of journalism is called a journalist.
A profession committed to the truth
The work of a journalist can be very broad. There are a diverse number of topics and areas in which the journalist can focus his professional activity: sports, politics, economy, entertainment, music, society, police, investigation, among others.
Investigative journalism has been one of the fastest growing in recent decades as a direct consequence of the interest that the public arouses in the possibility of knowing hidden, secret or silenced stories by power.
On the other hand, the journalist must know how to present a story, how to find the appropriate information to do so and also know how to distinguish reliable sources from those that are not.
Also, the information must be contrasted, checked, to be able to answer the questions of: what? How? When? Where? And because?
And the sources that provide the information must be reliable. A news story could not be based solely on the rumor.
In addition, a good journalist must find the most accessible and attractive way to communicate the information collected, in such a way that it reaches as many people as possible. Here it is of great importance the use of a correct but accessible language, and informal to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the case.
Some of the elements that make the events are taken into account by journalists to be published are their relevance, who they affect or who are involved, the actuality of the same, the proximity or proximity of the public with those events , etc.
For example, an event that involves a public figure, especially if the reason is a scandal or a controversy, has a strict chance of becoming a big news story. The media and journalists know this and good professionals will never dismiss an event of these characteristics.
