communism – mbcworld

What is the difference between a journalist and a reporter?

Someone who gives opinions and does not go out and cover the news is a “commentator” rather than a journalist or a reporter. Actually, the terms “journalist” and “reporter” can be used interchangeably, although “journalist” tends to be the name of someone who is in the profession of journalism, whether as a reporter or a correspondent. It is often used for folks who work in print (newspapers and magazines)— you might see someone called a “print journalist.” Reporters, on the other hand, are often folks who work in TV news or radio news. But whether you use the more formal term (journalist) or not, journalists and/or reporters are trained professionals. They go out and gathers the facts, interview the relevant news-makers, often write the story, and then deliver it. Journalists and reporters are not folks who guess or speculate, nor are they overtly partisan. They are people who devote their energies to finding out what the story actually is and then informing the public in an accurate and fair manner.

Are news reporters historians by creating history?

There is a saying that “journalism is the first draft of history.” This means that while journalists are not trained historians, what they are reporting today becomes part of the record that future researchers will use as they try to learn more about past times (and past perceptions of events). I’m a media historian, and I’ve found old newspapers and magazines a fascinating resource—a repository of which stories were considered important, and which people were considered newsworthy. They also show me what people believed about “the other,” what the common slang expressions were, how new technologies were received at that time, which celebrities were in the public eye, and which social issues were considered controversial.

Of course, reporters are usually not seeking or researching historical information: they are usually focused on reporting about current events— informing the public about what just happened, when it happened, why it happened, etc. But there are some stories where it can be useful to seek out historical information, especially when trying to put a current event into some context— such as finding out if X ever happened before and what the reaction to it was back then. So, there is actually some truth in the assertion that reporters are creating history. That may not be their intention at the time, but years later, historians and researchers will look at those reports and learn from them.

What is Mass Communication?

Without mass communication, it’s hard to imagine what exactly the world would look like today. Even in the most remote and third-world of places, such communications can be found being utilized. Mass Communication makes use of communication mediums like newspapers, television, books, films etc. to relay information to a wide range of people.

A Mass Communication course teaches the process of transmitting information on a large scale to a substantial segment of population through the use of these mediums. It is a branch of social science that falls under the umbrella of communication studies. The study of Mass Communication is also majorly related with the effects of the content of mass communication on people’s behaviors, attitude, emotions and opinions, and how the information is received on the other end of the process. Mass Communication studies can be pursued at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and is ideal for students having interest in the areas of Journalism, Broadcasting, Radio, Advertising and Public Relations.

Various Digital communication programs like DCLP are being introduced in mass communication colleges to blend the traditional media techniques with the new media modern strategies. Jag School of Transformative Skills (JSTS College) formerly known as the NBA Group of Institutions is one of the best mass communication institutes with various digital communication and Journalism courses.

Mudasir Bedar Chandio / MBC