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Functions of Journalists

Functions of Journalists. What they do in broad terms. The press is the “watchdog of the government.” This is the reason the US has a free press.

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Functions of Journalists

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  1. Functions of Journalists What they do in broad terms

  2. The press is the “watchdog of the government.” • This is the reason the US has a free press. • Instead of limiting and restricting journalists, the constitution guarantees the press the right to investigate the government and those running it. • It keeps people “honest” because all political figures are under scrutiny and can be held accountable for their actions. • The press represents the public at meetings and keeps the workings of government in the public eye. Political

  3. The press covers and reports on all major economic turns and trends • Examples: Wall Street; the recent down turn in the economy; gas prices; unemployment numbers; housing starts. • The press keeps the public informed of where the market is heading and why so people can make informed decisions about their money. • Think about the nightly news – each of the big three reports on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. • Whole economic shows are devoted to covering the financial health of the nation on the 24-hour news networks. Economic

  4. This function focuses on anything that would entertain you. • Sports, music, award shows, fashion, books etc would fall under this function. Entertainment

  5. This documents things like which officials attended various meetings, the weather and other natural events (how much rain fell in NO during Katrina), who won the presidency, etc. • This function is essential because in 100 years people will be looking back in press archives to find out what happened during our lifetimes. • This is usually where the “This Day in History” information bites is pulled from. Record Keeping

  6. This is the most troubling function of the press. • The media decides what’s important and what’s not. It decides which stories need the public’s attention and which ones don’t matter. • Someone has to pick the five or six stories that will be on the national news at 6 p.m. • Think about all the stories that never make it into the public consciousness. It’s because a reporter somewhere decided it didn’t matter enough to garnish attention. Agenda Setting

  7. Common sense function: think gossip columns, wedding announcements, movie reviews. • Feature-type stories about people. Social

  8. This function tracks what people are buying at the moment. • What’s trending and hot? • Did Apple come out with a new i-device? • Vehicle recalls; which vehicles to buy, which to avoid. • Consumer reports Marketplace

  9. The press is expected to analyze and then present future threats to the environment, national security, etc. • Ask questions such as What if, What could, What might ect. • This is done so people are made aware of the potential danger or future situations. • Example: Hurricane preparedness; reporting on an unstable government in the world. Sentry

  10. Political • Economic • Entertainment • Record keeping • Agenda setting • Social • Marketplace • Sentry Review

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