journalisme

Journalisme is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and distributing news and information to the public through print, broadcast, online, and other media. In French-speaking contexts the term journalisme is used, and practitioners are called journalistes. The practice encompasses reporting, editing, and presenting news, as well as watchdog functions that scrutinize power and public institutions.

Core functions include informing citizens, providing context, investigating issues of public concern, and facilitating informed public debate. Ethical journalism seeks accuracy, fairness, independence, transparency, and accountability, including the correction of errors and disclosure of conflicts of interest. Journalists typically rely on verifiable sources, cite evidence, and strive for balance, while recognizing limits to what can be known or confirmed.

Historically, modern journalisme emerged with the rise of printing and an expanding literate public, evolving through the penny press, the telegraph, and professionalization in the 19th and 20th centuries. The advent of radio, television, and later the internet broadened reach and shifted timeliness, while digital platforms introduced new modes of distribution, audience participation, and data-driven reporting. Across linguistic and national contexts, journalisme adapts to technology and market changes while maintaining core aims of informing and engaging the public.

Types of journalism include daily reporting on events, investigative journalism that probes under scrutiny, data journalism that analyzes information sets, and feature or opinion pieces. Journalists employ verification, sourcing, and editorial standards; ethics codes and industry bodies guide practices and handle issues such as corrections and conflicts of interest.

Contemporary challenges include misinformation, shifting business models, concentration of media ownership, platform influence, legal and safety pressures, and access to information. Press freedom and professional norms continue to shape journalisme in diverse contexts.