Political journalism is a broad branch of
journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
that includes coverage of all aspects of
politics
Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
and
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
, although the term usually refers specifically to coverage of civil
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
s and
political power
In political science, power is the ability to influence or direct the actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. Power does not exclusively refer to the threat or use of force (coercion) by one actor against another, but may also be exerted thro ...
.
Political journalism aims to provide voters with the information to formulate their own opinion and participate in community, local or national matters that will affect them. According to
Ed Morrissey in an opinion article from theweek.com, political journalism frequently includes opinion journalism, as current political events can be biased in their reporting. The information provided includes facts, its perspective is subjective and leans towards one viewpoint.
Brendan Nyhan and
John M. Sides argue that "Journalists who report on politics are frequently unfamiliar with political science research or question its relevance to their work". Journalists covering politics who are unfamiliar with information that would provide context to their stories can enable the story to take a different spin on what is being reported.
Political journalism is provided through different mediums, in print, broadcast, or online reporting. Digital media use has increased and it provides instant coverage of campaigns, politics, event news, and an accessible platform for the candidate. Media outlets known for their political journalism like ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' and the ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', have increased their use of this medium as well. Printed, online, and broadcast political humor presented as entertainment has been used to provide updates on aspects of government status, political news, campaign, and election updates. According to Geoffrey Baym, the information provided may not be considered "
fake news" but the lines between entertainment and factual news may seem blurred or biased while providing political updates. This type of journalism is analyzed, interpreted, and discussed by news media
pundits and editorialists. It can lack objectivity which can prevent the accuracy of the presented information. The reporting of news with
bias viewpointcan also take away the audience's ability to form their own opinion or beliefs of what has been reported. This type of reporting is subjective with a possible social or political purpose.
Overview
Civic journalism has begun to develop a strong following again after first emerging as a philosophy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Those who find civic journalism to be a new, progressive, and profound method for the media to engage with the public see it as an opportunity to revitalize democracy as we know it. As technological advances overtake the modern world, it is becoming less common for the general public to buy newspapers or watch TV news to inform themselves on the events in the political sphere. Including this, younger generations, such as, Generation Y (Millennials) and Generation Z, are not coming out to the polls due to a variety of reasons. Overall, democracy is beginning to fail as there is a lack of
civic engagement
Civic engagement or civic participation is any individual or group activity addressing issues of public concern. Civic engagement includes communities working together or individuals working alone in both political and non-political actions to ...
and even interference with democratic processes, such as Russia's involvement with the 2016 United States election, and even electronic voting (e-voting) machines that are being hacked and altering results. All in all, proponents of civic journalism believe that for democracy to regain its traction and glory in the modern world, the media must be more receptive to feedback from the public and take initiative to engage the public as well.
According to Oxford Research Encyclopedias, the popularity of political journalism is rising, and the area is becoming one of the more dominant domains of journalism. Political journalism is meant to be more of an overseer of the democratic process as they relate to civic engagement rather than a scapegoat for the issues with democracy. Including this, there are four key concepts that political journalism can be boiled down to. These concepts are the framing of politics as a strategic game, interpretive versus straight news, conflict framing and media negativity, and finally, political or partisan bias. In essence, these can be viewed as the four quintessential pillars of civic journalism.
Goals
The goal of civic journalism, or public journalism, is to allow the community to remain engaged with journalists and news outlets, restore democratic values, and rebuild the public's trust in journalists. The concept of fake news arose due to the fact that it is so easy to manipulate or twist information these days and create a certain narrative that might be entirely incorrect. This has led to an overall decrease in the credibility that people have for journalists and media sources. Certain media sources or news outlets often come under a lot of heat for certain stories or narratives they push which are built upon fallacies. People argue for participatory democracy, but politics now is largely considered a popularity contest and consists of politicians making decisions to ensure their reelection. Proponents of
civic journalism believe that this philosophy will allow individuals to have a greater say in decision-making and in the broader political sphere.
Given the rise in
yellow journalism
In journalism, yellow journalism and the yellow press are American newspapers that use eye-catching headlines and sensationalized exaggerations for increased sales. This term is chiefly used in American English, whereas in the United Kingdom, ...
and search optimization algorithms that create an echo chamber among mass media, civic journalism is entering a niche role where it can shift the position of news within public reception. As of recent, most news publishers undergo more and more observation as their ethics and content come under extensive scrutiny for
political biases. In a time where traditional news outlets concern themselves with how to effectively monetize and are not the main distributors of information, civic journalism pivots the role of publishers from distributing information to curating information. Given one of civic journalism's central tenets - making the press a forum for discussion of community issues - a publisher is able to seek out a niche in bolstering local engagement over spreading knowledge of worldly issues readily available via a web search.
Supporters and opponents
According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications, civic journalism is a polarizing philosophy and has a collection of opponents as well. Such opponents of civic journalism find it to be risky and ineffective. They also find the practice to bring about conflicts of interest and believe that it necessitates involvement in public affairs deemed to be unethical. John Bender, assistant professor of new editorial at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, claimed that journalists who are the most esteemed and high regarded play active roles in helping their community thrive. That practice would be an example of how civic journalism is indeed beneficial for the future of democracy as proponents believe.
The University of Washington also delves into the world of political journalism with the article entitled "Where Media and Politics Meet". This takes a long hard look at the currently political climate, and how exactly the media can play a positive role in that climate.
Rhetoric in political journalism has been gaining popularity since the 60s, and has become more of an artform than anything since then. Many titans have leapt across the industry in various forms, whether it be
Hunter S. Thompson's "
Gonzo journalism" style of following the political campaigns on the road, or Barbra Walters hard hitting interviews. Today, with the introduction of social media the news-cycle has become a cycle of attention grabbing pieces that run for no longer than 24-hours. However, political journalism is an absolutely vital part of the society we know and love, and although there has been a small downtick in the acknowledgement of it, people devoting their time and care to politics will surely allow for the once dying art to flourish again. In fact, the impact of political journalism can soon go beyond politics, as the need for political rhetoric in society has boomed the tech industry and created further opportunities in the sectors around that as well. Political journalism effects opportunities in the tech industry in different ways. For example, political journalism often reports on government initiatives pertaining to different incentives, laws, taxes, and data privacy rules. It is not hard to see how far we have come as political journalists from the early works of Thompson and Walters.
Proponents of civic journalism are steadfast on certain issues. They believe that integrating journalism into the democratic process helps to inform voters and makes them more aware of what is occurring in the political sphere. Including this, it could make a difference in the democratic process if all voters were equally informed. An important aspect is ensuring that the information received by the public is all accurate and fact-checked. That is an important aspect that sometimes gives journalism, and certain news sources, a bad reputation, as previously mentioned. Accuracy in political news and journalism can enable voters to be more involved in the democratic process. Civic journalism itself is the process of integrating journalism into the democratic process and allowing voters and the media to play a more active role rather than being witnesses and bystanders in what happens in the political sphere. Moreover, technology also plays an active role in educating voters and determining viewpoints.
Subsets
* Social Media Journalism is a subgenre of journalism that covers the bottom three subgenre's through social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc. With the new rise in technology, many may see original journalism as an outdated method, its vitality to our society in the political realm is monumental. Viewers of social media journalism are not just viewers anymore, but they are commenters now. They are not only passive receivers of media that is approved by an elite, but they are active participants in political communication that is held among the people. Influencers have the ability to be unrestricted in their reports on news and those who follow them or engage in discourse are able to engage with and see multiple perspectives and beliefs both similar and different to their own.
* Election journalism or electoral journalism is a subgenre of political journalism which focuses upon and analyzes developments related to an approximate election and political campaigns. This type of journalism provides information to the electorate that can educate and help form opinion that empowers a specific vote. This subgenre, like data journalism, makes use of numerical data, such as statistics, polls and historic data in regards to a candidate's chance of success for office, or a party's change in size in a legislature. It provides knowledge that may make the presented news hold more relevance. Information added to the reports are of campaign statuses and political events. A politician's strategy can be exaggerated or provided without context or historical perspective. Trends on each party candidate are reported and at times compared to previous party candidates. The news on the status of the elections, like other political reporting's, are provided in different mediums. The election report coverage has taken full advantage of the digital era in providing instant access to news.
* Defense journalism or military journalism is a subgenre that focuses upon the current status of a nation's military, intelligence and other defense-related faculties. Interest in defense journalism tends to increase during times of violent conflict, with military leaders being the primary actors. During the course of military journalism, news reporters are sometimes assigned to military units to report news taking place in areas of conflict. The term embedded journalism was used when the media was involved in the reporting of the war in Iraq. Embedded journalism can also be biased because it is one-sided. Information reported has been collected from the area the journalist has been stationed with the possibility to lean towards the agenda of the group they have been assigned to. This subgenre of political journalism is also applied to media coming from journalists embedded in a particular campaign or candidate. Like military assignments, reports can be influenced by the message the campaign or candidate is trying to bring across.
* Environmental journalism is a subgenre of journalism that focuses on the reporting and analysis of environmental issues and trends. This branch of journalism seeks to cover topics related to the natural environment, conservation efforts, climate change, pollution, and sustainability practices. Environmental journalists play a crucial role in educating the public about the importance of environmental stewardship and the impacts of human activity on the planet. They investigate and report on environmental policies, practices of corporations, government actions, and the efforts of non-governmental organizations. Much like election and defense journalism, environmental journalism often relies on data and scientific research to inform its reports. Journalists may use data on temperature changes, pollution levels, loss of biodiversity, and the status of natural resources to provide a comprehensive view of environmental issues. This subgenre also explores the social, economic, and political implications of environmental policies and practices, highlighting how these issues intersect with public health, equity, and economic development.
See also
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Afghanistanism
*
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
*
''Common Sense'' (pamphlet)
*
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translati ...
*''
Democracy in America
(; published in two volumes, the first in 1835 via Gallica; via Gallica and the second in 1840) via Gallica; via Gallica is a classic French work by Alexis de Tocqueville. In the book, Tocqueville examines the democratic revolution that he be ...
''
*
Embedded journalism
*
''The Federalist'' Papers
*
Mediatization (media)
*
Military journalism in the USA
*
News conference
A press conference, also called news conference or press briefing, is a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalism, journalists to hear them speak and ask questions. Press conferences are often held by politicia ...
*
Pamphleteer
A pamphleteer is a historical term used to describe someone who creates or distributes pamphlets, unbound (therefore inexpensive) booklets intended for wide circulation.
Context
Pamphlets were used to broadcast the writer's opinions: to articu ...
*
Parliamentary sketch writing
*
Political blog
A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries also known as posts. Posts are typically displayed in Reverse chronology, reverse chronologic ...
*
Political scandal
In politics, a political scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage. Politicians, government officials, Political party, party officials and Lobbying, lobbyists can be accused of various ...
*
Press gaggle
Press may refer to:
Media
* Publisher
* News media
* Printing press, commonly called "the press"
* Press TV, an Iranian television network
Newspapers United States
* ''The Press'', a former name of '' The Press-Enterprise'', Riverside, Califor ...
*
Press pool
*''
The Staple of News
''The Staple of News'' is an early Literature in English#Caroline and Cromwellian literature, Caroline era play, a satire by Ben Jonson. The play was first performed in late 1625 by the King's Men (playing company), King's Men at the Blackfriars ...
''
*
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer, essayist, satirist, and Anglican cleric. In 1713, he became the Dean (Christianity), dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and was given the sobriquet "Dean Swi ...
References
External links
Chart – Real and Fake News (2016)/Vanessa Oterobasis
Chart – Real and Fake News (2014)2016/
Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center (also simply known as Pew) is a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world. It ...
{{Authority control
Journalism by field
Media analysis
News
journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...
journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...