Lesson 1.02 American Journalism Evolves

Journalism is the study of facts and incoming information that is displayed through multiple types of media.  The American public thrives on the news and the journalists and reporters behind the scenes that make the news possible.  Every event and newscast that you watch on TV, every newspaper article that you read, and every blog or information website that you visit is only possible with the hard work and long dedicated hours of none other than the journalist.  The role of the journalist has changed over time and has to become adapted to the way that society is changing.  They are always on top of the most current news and that comes to us through newspaper articles, magazines, photography, television, the internet, and much more.

Early American journalism started around the early 1700’s and has grown ever since.  It started with Benjamin Franklin publishing the annual Poor Richard’s Almanack.  This was a pamphlet that included everything that the people of the colonies were interested in at the time such as, the weather, puzzles, proverbs, and tips for living in the colonies.  In my opinion, American journalism would not exist without the help of society and their likes at a certain point in time.  It was all about the trends and the events taking place.  I believe that early American history was not only more subjective, but limited in the sense that journalists still had so much more to discover in their world of news and in communication with other places.  It was harder to get information without being on the scene first hand.  Once the radio came along, the field of journalism was booming with information and communication.  People did not know what to expect when it was first invented and was a turning point in the way news would be portrayed forever.      

The first amendment protects the freedom of the press and the rights that the journalist has to display news.  Democracy is based on the decision of the people and what they want.  Journalism helps people come closer to their decisions because of the research and findings about topics pertaining to politics.  With the freedom of the press, anyone is allowed to write and say anything they want or feel , which creates personal expression and opinions.  Not only is this freedom good for the news, it is also useful for authors, illustrators, and artistic figures.  Without this freedom, America would not be what it is today.  We wouldn’t be able to read about and form an opinion about our current president, protests against major companies that are doing wrong, or start an organization for something that you believe in.  Television shows would be under the rule of the government and signs and posters would have to be looked over before they are displayed.  Journalism is all about learning facts, gaining information, and expressing opinions and thoughts.  Without the protection of the government and freedom of the press, journalism as the world knows it would not even exist. 

Throughout this journalism course, I would like to learn more about the steps to becoming a journalist and skills to better improve my writing and reporting.  I would also like to learn the format for writing a newspaper article and what the job as an editor exactly entails.