Journalist and Society

Journalist and Society 

• Suman Acharya  

All reporters, correspondent, news editor, chief editor including photographer are journalist who are the member of media. Without journalist, media are empty pot or empty well. Journalist always deals with news and current affairs issues who carry the role of watchdog and gamekeeper of the society. They also evaluates the different governmental body; executive, legislative and judiciary. Journalist helps to bridge the gap between and among three organs of state which is done for social welfare, social control and social change. All wrongdoing and misgivings are covered by journalist in their respective media. Journalist carry watchdog role with the support of news, feature, column, article, editorial, interview including talk show. These programs are more credible than other program of mass media because journalistic program always follow different principles like accuracy, balance, credibility etc.

Role of mass media

All media, having the characteristics of mass communication definition like professional communicators, large-scale distribution of information, diverse and heterogeneous audience including delay feedback, are called mass media. So, Newspapers, magazine, radio, TV, Cable, film, online are the example of mass media. Telephone, chatting in online can't be mass media, which lacks the characteristics of mass communication. So mass media are tools of mass communication. So mass media are technology, which reach large number of people.

We can classify mass media as follows

a. Print media: Newspapers and other publication by the help of inked surfaces are the print media. Newspapers are also known as daily, weekly etc. As a mass media, print media defines following area.

1.       Books

2.       Newspapers: Dailey, weekly

3.       Magazine: Fortnightly, monthly, bimonthly

b. Electronic media: Media that requires electricity in order to operate, function or communicate messages are included to the electronics media. For e.g. radio, television etc. We can further classify electronic media as follows.

a.      Broadcasting media

1.1   Radio

1.2   TV

1.3   Cable

1.4   FM

b.      Film

2.1Documentary

2.2 feature film

2.3 Advertisement film

c.       Online

Books

The first consequence of printing technology revolution is book, which made possible to keep the record of knowledge and event very fast and in great volume than previous era. Before the innovation of printing technology by Gutenberg in 1456, only the hand-written manuscript was possible but it took very long time. So, there was no reliable medium to keep record. The first preliminary phase of mass communication was commenced with the expansion of books, which shows the great importance in the history of mass communication. Gradually more and more books are appeared in the vernacular language, printing greatly accelerated developments in science, philosophy, religion and other discipline. The development of education contributed greatly to the growth in book publishing. More universities were established every year around the world, especially in European countries and spread slowly around the world. As a result literacy rate around the world expanded which tended human being toward more civilized and developed phase.  

Characteristics of books

1. Permanent: Books are published for year to year, not for short span of time, to record knowledge and transfer it from generation to generation. As a result, we can use books published historically to compare previous era to contemporary society. We can easily get information of history with the availability of books published in that time.
2. Portable: Books are used to distribute from one place to another which is being possible by modern transportation medium like Aeroplane, other vehicle etc. For example, the book published in India can sell everywhere because of its portable nature. In the beginning, books were easier than stone and wood to carry from one place to another.
3. No advertisement: no advertisement is found in book as other media like newspaper, magazine etc. Advertisement is presented to get profit instantly but books are published for long run because various readers need various books, which have no coherence among the interest of reader that can't lead advertiser toward profit.
4. More detail information: Books are published to provide detail information about concerned topics. Generally, one book consist only one event with detail background. We can't include various events in same book, which has no connection. So one book includes only one event or findings of research.
5. Knowledge storing medium: The cheaper medium to record knowledge is book. As this nature of book, various religious, scientific and other books are in market from long time back. On the other hand it is kept in library for public access and to preserve book for long time.
6. More personal: books are used more personally than other media. One reader studies one book generally.
7. Not local, wide scale distribution: Books are distributed not only in local area but also national, international level, which depend on language barrier.
8. Promoted by other media: Books are advertised and commented by other media like newspaper, TV, magazine etc. We can find book review in newspaper and magazine especially which helps to sell more books in market.

Newspaper

Generally we understand newspaper as daily and weekly papers, which focus mainly on news, feature and other current affairs program in in-depth reporting. Newspapers provide us detail, long and analytical story in comparison to other media because of its wide space. However, Daily newspaper generally focuses on hard news and Weekly newspapers generally focuses on soft and more analytical than daily because of its time constrain.

Characteristics of newspapers

1. Regular and frequent appearance: To be newspapers, at least it should publish daily or weekly regularly, not intermittently. Generally newspaper consists news, views, opinion, analysis, feature etc that are possible only in daily and weekly newspapers.
2. News, reports and current affair content: Contents of newspapers are covered by current affairs program which is happening and effecting day to day life style of the people like murder, stock exchange, landslide etc.
3. Not same size: All newspapers aren't appeared in same size. Some newspapers are published in broadsheet but some are published in tabloid format where 14*22" newspapers like Kantipur, Samacharpatra, Rajdhani daily are broadsheet daily and other small weekly size newspaper like Jana Astha, Nepali Times, Dhristi are tabloid daily.
4. Advertisement controls content: newspapers aren't affordable by general people if advertisement isn't pasted in newspapers. So those advertisers who provide abundant advertisement can control the contents of newspapers. As a result, newspapers are unwilling to publish the report, which is negative to those advertisers.
5. Urban, secular audience: Large circulation daily can only get large number of advertisement. So, the people living in urban area can afford and buy newspaper, but rural people can't. As a result, newspapers mainly focus urban audiences.
6. Relative freedom: Law and regulation to control the content of newspapers are quite free than broadcasting media. Generally, Nepal government can't withdraw registration of newspapers but government can cancel the registration of broadcasting medium.
7. Focuses on public interest: newspapers are used to try to scoop the news as fast as they can with in-depth and interesting style of reporting to attract public interest. Nor newspapers can't compete with broadcasting medium.

Magazine

Magazine always consist investigative, interpretative and more analytical issues with detail facts and figure than newspapers. So it is competing with other media because of its distinctive nature. However, the word magazine entered the English language in the late 1500's, but it didn't refer to printed medium in the beginning.   The term originally comes from the Arabic makhasin, which means storehouse. Thus the term magazine referred in ancient time to place containing a collection of different items, especially military stores. Now it is taken as printed bound format of mass media because of its different material purveyed in magazine.

7. Bound format: Magazines are appeared in bound format by hard cover page with stapled of multi page of papers where different issues according to the nature of magazines are served to the wide range of audience according to its target group.
8. Better print quality: Printing quality of magazine is quite better than other newspapers. So the expenditure to publish magazines charges more than other newspapers. Some magazines are published in glossy papers and normally more magazines are appeared in front color page and some are published all page color. So it looks attractive and easily pays the attention of more people.
9. Durable: Magazines are kept for a long time than other newspapers in library and in house too. It is easy to keep it for long time because of its bound format too.
10. Permanence: Durability of magazines makes it permanent and easy to keep the bundle of magazine safely somewhere.
11. Interpretative and analytical reporting: The issues of magazines are normally long and in-depth than newspapers. The story covers from beginning to last of the event.
12. Content varies depending on audience: There are various kinds of magazines according to the focus group like sports magazine, economical magazine, general magazine, educational magazine, child magazine etc.

 Effective media (Radio) in the context of Nepal

All kinds of media have existed in Nepal. However all those media aren't pervasive because of social, political, economical, and geographical constrain of Nepal. Radio is one of the most influential media, in the context of Nepal where it is cheap, portable and understandable to illiterate people too.  Language and economical problem are for newspaper because of wide illiteracy rate of Nepal, and economical problem for TV, computer including film to buy. On the other hand, there is no signal and electricity reach in majority rural area in the context of TV, and online. Like this, there is no technical knowledge and required language to operate and use computer with its expensiveness.   So radio has very great role in the context of Nepal. Radio is very fast. First and foremost strength of radio is immediacy. But weakness of radio is that people used to involve less on it. They listen the radio. But at the same time they perform other job too. That is why we need extra effort to attract people.

Writing for Radio

Unlike the print media and television, radio is different because it is meant for listening. In other words, radio is a medium for the ears but we generally have very little time to tell something. So before writing for radio, we should focus on the combination of words, sounds and music to concentrate the attraction of listener. So writing rule for radio can be summarized as follows.

1. Simplicity: The idea is to take one central point and make it using simple language, short sentences and words and phrases that are used everyday. Message should be prepared in conversational form.
2. Clarity: Radio writing shouldn't be dubious and ambiguity in meaning.
3. Coherence: Wording and flow of language should follow logical order.
4. Rapport: In radio writing, we generally use 'you' instead of I to make them feel rapport to radio message. So personalizing the message is necessary in radio writing.
5. Pleasantness: The sound used in radio should be pleasant and friendly to listener as if they think it is attractive and interesting.
6. Less number of data: Use less number of data because listener can't remember such data, which leads listener toward confusion.
7. Sharp angle: Follow only one event and angle. Don't intermingle many events and angle more than one.
8. Create image: Always present natural image on which listener are habitual.

Characteristics of radio

a. Cheapness in buying

b.       Mobile and portable medium

c.        Not barrier of illiteracy

d.       Very fast than other media

e.        Flexible in use

f.         Widely selective

Weakness of radio

a.        Great attention necessary

b.       Extensive regulation

c.      Distortion in meaning

TV

TV is established itself one of the most effective mass media if people have access to technology because of its nature of audiovisual medium. TV is most expanded medium across the world in contemporary society where it has established main global mass media. TV has become the windows of the world by which the world contracted to narrow area. There should be the very good synchronization and combination between audio and visual. So, it includes all characteristics of radio writing, only difference is that there should be combination of audio and visual context. TV has very great role in globalization and internationalization in communication.

Characteristics of TV

a.        Audiovisual content

b.       Wide choice of channel

c.        Complex technology and organization

d.       Very large output, range and reach

e.        Public character and extensive regulation

f.         National and international character

g.        Very diverse content form

h.        Family medium

Weakness of TV

a.        Expensive in production and dissemination

b.       Spending long-time can kill creativity

c.        It makes people romantic

d.       Excites youngster toward violence and vulgarity

e.   Geographical constrain  I in the absence of satellite)

f.    Highly dramatic

g.   High initial cost

h. Technical noise

i. Not documentation

j.

Film

Recorded images and sounds of the social and other events sent by photochemical process are called film. So it includes feature film, serial film, documentary etc. It should meet public expectations to be factual and accurate. Film is also a medium of mass entertainment, education and promotion of cultural arts. But pornographic film has proliferated in market illegally, which is distorting the minds of youngster.   However, motion picture is not as effective as film.

Characteristics of film

1. Audio visual technology
2. Public performance
3. Predominantly narrative fiction
4. International character
5. Strong social control
6. Revenue from audience
7. No commercial break as TV
8. Comparatively youngster audience

Weakness of film media

1. Technological problem for third world
2. Cultural invasion
3. Elimination of folk media like dance, drama performance
4. Inclined to profit mainly
5. Widely censored by censor committee

Online media

Media, which is disseminated via Internet, is called online media, which use WWW exclusively. The combination of computer, satellite, telephone including modem to connect network of computer worldwide has revolutionized mass communication to make it sophisticated technology around the world.

Characteristics of online media

1. Computer based technology: The main tools of online media are computer where monitor displays various information kept in website which is connected with Internet.
2. Hybrid and flexible: Online media are hybrid form of computer, telephone and modem, which disseminate us wide range of information. So, we can select information as per our need, which leads us flexible in use.
3. Interactive medium: Online media provides us the facilities to send our feedback instantly with source, which leads online media into interaction between source and receiver.
4. Multimedia form: Online media present all form of mass media like radio, TV, newspaper, magazine etc. We can get all forms of media as per our need via online.
5. Low degree of regulation: The authority can't censor the content of online media, which can guarantee the freedom of speech and expression even in communist country.
6. Individual use: Receivers of online media can get information individually. He/she searches WWW and utilize as per their need.
7. Infotainment content: The content of online media are entertainment-oriented information, which attracts large pile of receiver.

Weakness of online media

1. Difficult to find out genuine information: Many people are tending to make their own website to trick audience and get profit from them. As a result, all information kept in web isn't genuine.
2. Disturbance of pornographic content: Automatically generated obscene contents are found while opening the web, which corrupts the mind of people.
3. Fake website: Some people are used to make duplicate website to make undue advantages. We have to be careful from such an infamous fake website.
4. Misused by terrorist: The network of terrorist is using online media to expand their network and to kill hundreds of people.
5. Tending toward isolation of people: Those people who spend more time in online media are reclusive and don't want to be socialized. They want to spend their time only in online.
6. Complex information network: It is very hard to delve out necessary information although we get genuine website. We have to search sub-website to get information. So it takes time.
7. Necessary of technological knowledge: Many people of developing country can't operate computer or they don't know about Internet and its system. So primary training or knowledge is necessary to operate it.
8. Availability problem: The network, telephone and computer aren't available in rural area.

News Agency:

News agency is an organization which makes business transaction on information. In fact, news agency is the key player of media support system. Those media organization which do not have sufficient income are used to acquire information content like news, feature, interview, and photograph from news agency. It provides information in low costs which helps to maintain uniformity in various newspapers and broadcasting station. Diversity in media content will be prevalent with the existence of news agency which also makes positive impact on layout, design and style of information presentation. AFP is the frist news agency of the world which was established in 1835 with the initiation of Charles Havas. In the beginning, this agency used traditional way of information collection with the support of pigeon. Another news agency of America named AP was established in 1846, when 5 newspapers of New York made agreement to share information with each other. Formally AP worked as agency only after 1848. Reuters, leading news agency of UK, was established in 1851 which extensively used telegraph technology to distribute information. Gradually numbers of news agency has been establishing across the world. National News Agency (RSS), only one news agency of Nepal, was established formally on 7^th Falgun 2018 BS. This agency was set up with the amalgamation of Nepal Sambad Samitee and Sagarmatha Sambad Samitee. Though there is the possibility of another private news agency under existing law, no Nepali citizen has applied to launch privately owned news agency in Nepal till this date. RSS Act has allowed 49% share, however, it is not implemented in the absence of effective mechanism.  

Characteristics of News agency

·         Means of media support system

·         Organization exchanging of information as transaction

·         Economical support for small media

·         Support to reduce information gap between have and have not

·         International media relationship