Monday, September 13, 2010

Purpose of Journalism

Ask me what I’m afraid of and I’ll tell you, with a slight blush in my cheeks, that I’m afraid of the dark. I’ll do whatever it takes to get out of the dark – turn on lights, seek out a flashlight, wait for sunlight, and so forth. Likewise, I think it is fair to say that no one likes to be in the dark. This is a large factor as to why journalism is so important for a well-functioning society.


As a group in my journalism class puts it, without journalism, you are in the dark, and when you are in the dark, you can be taken advantage of. In a country in which citizens are permitted and even expected to be free-governing, it is crucial to be well informed. The key purpose of journalism is to inform society of what they need to know to be free and self-governing. I particularly appreciate how this article highlights the purpose of journalism and how journalists should handle their job: http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Why-Journalism-Important/128572.

Look around you. The world is constantly changing, and we are all a part of this change. In order to find success and make proper decisions, we must be educated, and journalism places this education into the palms of our hands.

3 comments:

  1. If you don't look under the bed, you'll never know if there really is a monster hiding under it.

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  2. I like your analogy of being in the dark. I also liked how group number one mentioned that the first thing government does to overthrow the people is to take away the freedom of the press. A problem in our own country is that few people know congressman, we have low voting statistics, and few read the newspaper. I thought this website was interesting it shows statistics about low-voter turnout. http://tinyurl.com/242tkx5

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  3. So journalists are flashlights and sunshine? I can go with that.

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