CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF STUDY

Journalism entails a high degree of public trust. To earn and maintain this trust, it is morally imperative for every journalist and every news medium to observe the highest professional and ethical standard. In the exercise of these duties, a journalist should always have a healthy regard for the public interest.           Journalism is information. ‘’It is communication and it is the events of the day distilled into few words, sound  or pictures, processed by the mechanics of communication to satisfy the human curiosity of the world that is always eager to know what is news.’’ Journalism may also be entertained or reassurance to people who are ‘’always eager to be comforted with the knowledge just like us’’.           Basically, Journalism is news. ‘’It is the profession of gathering writing and editing news’’. A Journalist is, therefore “someone whose training in Mass communication and mass media make him or her witness and prophet of cultural, economic, media and ethical norms of the society. Truth is his watchword.” His primary role is to seek for and report events of public interest in an objective manner. He should publish only facts and never to suppress or falsify such facts to suit his own purpose. News must be represented to the public untainted by any personal bias or outside influence. Journalism is an editorial staff of a newspaper, radio, television, magazine, ministry of information, freelance or those that have branched into Public Relation Practice.           In Nigerian, the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) serves as the professional trade union umbrella shielding journalists apart from other associations which are subordinate to the NUJ.           Journalism goes beyond mere writing; there are more complex, technical sides of the profession like News Gathering, News reporting, sub–editing, page planning and design, photography and cropping, etc.

1. 1. This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research work
2. 2. As a source for additional understanding of the subject.
3. 3. As a source for ideas for your own research work (if properly referenced).
4. 4. For PROPER paraphrasing (see your university definition of plagiarism and acceptable paraphrase)
5. 5. Direct citing (if referenced properly)
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