THE EVOLUTION OF JOURNALISM
- Petra Hadžidaova
- Nov 12, 2024
- 5 min read
INTRODUCTION
“Where is the love?” the singers and artists of Black Eyed Peace have asked themselves in one of their famous songs. I can't help but wonder too what with more and more details of heinous crimes done in Hollywood coming out. Just what all has been hidden?
While it is not exactly a complete surprise with rumors surfacing for years (Hell! Decades.) - one hopes, right?
The more I hear, the more I realize just how broken this world is. All it takes is one glimpse into the news and we are met with nothing but negative talk. It seems as though the world is truly fallen.
Of course, all would say it is simply due to journalism and social media making everything way more accessible. I can’t say they do not have a point.
The word journalism derives from the French word “jour” meaning day. It denotes a shared piece of information – information that satisfies some social and public interest. (1) In this day and era it is pretty simple to spread information and news. But how did journalism begin and evolve?
HISTORY OF JOURNALISM
FROM VOICE TO GLYPHS
As God's creative work began through the spoken word, so did journalism begin its journey through the vocal cords of faithful messengers. Word of mouth was the method through which messages were conveyed until the need for a written word arose. (2)
Not so long ago, I watched a documentary on one of the ancient Biblical archeological sites they were digging up. The information they conveyed was rather intriguing. Contrary to popular opinion, it seems as though religion brought forth the need for writing systems.
At the temple, the increasing rise of the population demanded more sacrifices. As a result, the clergy began storing up even greater amounts of cattle and grain. A new problem presented a new need - the need for accounting. And so writing systems were birthed with clay tablets being the format of choice.
FROM CLAY TO PAPER
In Ancient Rome the first journalistic product as we know it today began. Acta Diurna, the first newsletter of public speeches and whatnot appeared. In China, the reports of court sessions were recorded from the beginning of the Tang Dynasty. (3)
Handwriting remained with us until the invention of the printing press. It was around 1609 that the first newspaper was created in Germany. Correspondents took on the role of “journalists” giving this wave the name correspondence journalism. They provided political, economic, cultural as well as sensationalistic news objectively and impartially. (1)
THE RISE OF OPINION JOURNALISM AND COMMERCIALIZATION
In the 17th and 18th centuries, a shift took place and enlightenment entered the stage. Presenting facts and reasoned arguments took the front with periodicals and journals being the main theme. In Europe in the 18th century, one could detect a hint of “literary journalism” and “advocacy journalism” as well. (2, 3)
The 19th century brought commercialization and the rise of yellow journalism in America (1). Newspapers became cheaper during the Penny Press and the invention of the telegraph made things even easier and faster (4). Gradually the American model of commercialization took over Europe too. (1) Professionalisation took place in the second half of the 19th century in Europe and the 20th in America. (1, 3)
During the American Revolution period, journalism was used to politically sway the audience with the use of political cartoons and illustrations. It continued similarly in the post-revolution period. In 1920 the broadcast era entered the scene starting with radio transmission, which was then joined by television broadcasts in 1940 across the globe. (2) This required new formats to be developed and the radio to be adapted, including live broadcasts, news programs, news magazines, documentaries, interviews, talk shows, etc (1)
INVESTIGATIVE AND NEW JOURNALISM
In the mid-1900s investigative journalism finally took off and gave journalism its signature image. Also known as watchdog journalism, its primary duty was to inform people of the wrongdoing of any governmental or organizational individual or group. It was during this era that slowly the New Journalism began to emerge. (2)
With many of the journalists being dreamers themselves, thus began the introduction of the so-called New Journalism. Traditional journalism merged with literary techniques. Reporting in the form of short stories became quite fashionable as mentioned in the article The Birth of ‘The New Journalism’; by Tom Wolfe. (5)
He, not a particular fan at the beginning, became enamored by it. As one of the frontiers of this new style, he mentions that one had to almost enter the mind of a reader to bring this new style to life. The line between truth and fiction I believe slowly started to dissipate.
THE INTERNET/DIGITAL ERA
With the arrival of the internet journalism began a new chapter - globalization. Now all is easily accessible and at the tip of our fingertips. But as beneficial as that is, the quality of journalism has fallen even further. That line between lie and truth has even further dissipated.
One does not know what to trust anymore. As Mr. Musk says, the media tries to influence people too much with their opinions and occasionally deliberate misrepresentation of events. Sometimes I wonder if we all do it on a certain level. Have we become so desensitized that we only notice it if it is blatant?
I believe there might be a place for storytelling or similar components within reporting. But there has to be a clear distinction between fiction and truth. And there should be as much objectivity as possible.
Also with AI on the rise, one needs to be careful with the information they read. Too many fake videos are already rising. Videos of people saying things they probably never would on air or never would in general.
ALL THINGS WILL BE REVEALED
Yes; objectivity and stating facts need to return. We can be creative even when reporting yet that does not mean we twist the truth. There are people’s lives or careers we could impact negatively. Still, boldness when speaking truth is required too.
Everything gets revealed with time. In light of recent events I wish sometimes, they would be revealed much sooner. But God truly does not get mocked. Besides the obvious case of P. Diddy, Michael Jackson’s story does make one’s heart ache. I have barely scratched the surface and after recent allegations wonder just how much wrong was done against him. Was he innocent or was he guilty? All I will say is, “God let it all be revealed. And let your will be done.”
CONCLUSION
Journalism holds an important position in the society. Its roots go back to the very beginning starting with word of mouth. Then clay tablets and glyphs came into play and were eventually replaced by paper, which centuries later got replaced by bits and bytes. Its purpose remained the same - the delivery of information of public interest. The styles varied significantly throughout time from correspondence journalism to new journalism and eventually internet journalism. With the latter sadly came also the downfall in quality. Nowadays it is best to check different sources before forming an honest opinion.
SOURCES
Jürgen Wilke. Journalism. European History Online, 6.8.2013. Available at https://www.ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/european-media/journalism
Nora Torok. A Brief History of Journalism: From Hieroglyphic Inscriptions to Bits and Bytes. January 26, 2024. Available at https://thesciencesurvey.com/features/2024/01/26/a-brief-history-of-journalism-from-hieroglyphic-inscriptions-to-bits-and-bytes/
Brittanica. Journalism. Nov 3, 2024. Available at https://www.britannica.com/topic/journalism
Rodrigo Zamith. The American Journalism Handbook - Concepts, Issues, and Skills, 1st Ed. University of Massachusetts Amherst, 13.2.2024. Available at
Tom Wolfe. The Birth of ‘The New Journalism’. From the Archives, Sept. 15, 2023. Available at https://thesciencesurvey.com/features/2024/01/26/a-brief-history-of-journalism-from-hieroglyphic-inscriptions-to-bits-and-bytes/
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