Question

How has journalism affected the road towards a gradual growth of democratic society?

explain in 3-4 paragraphs

Answer 1

Due of the many news outlets available these days, people prefer not to consume all of them, but to listen to, watch and read those media that tap into and affirm their opinions. If what is written rubs the wrong way, some doubt the validity of the story and some go to the extreme and challenge the role of a free press in a democracy

Media's primary function is to provide knowledge to help people make choices about their own lives and other people's lives. This needs freedom to do our work, but as stated in the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics, we must do so professionally and correctly. This says, "Public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the cornerstone of democracy." There are four principles to follow: "Seek and disclose truth; mitigate harm; act independently and be accountable and transparent."

By the late 19th century, many cheap penny newspapers – no longer relying on political patronage – practiced "yellow journalism," promoting sensationalism over truth to sell newspapers to mass audiences. Target markets included new immigrants, who could understand cartoons and basic English words more easily.

Most specifically, journalism began embracing the notion of objectivity as an ideal. A useful concept of objectivity, offered by Schudson, is the "view that one can and should distinguish facts from values." Facts, he suggested, can be seen as statements that can be checked independently, while values can be seen as conscious or unconscious desires about what the world should be