KEY ELEMENTS OF JOURNALISM!

These are the elements that guides journalists to strive to give readers facts that are accurate and reliable. They are;

1. Truth/Truthfulness: Brian McNair says first, journalism lay claim to the qualities of truthfulness and accuracy which leads to objectivity.

Objectivity in journalism means the state of mind that journalists acquire to make fair, neutral observers of events and issues.

2. Hither to unknown features: This points talks about “Newness”. McNair is of the opinion that journalism tells us things we did not already know. Journalism is all about new things.

3. Actual/Actuality: Actuality here simple means real things. It is not something that you imagined. So, if you want to report on something that you claim is journalism, then it should be real. It should not be a fiction or imagination. That is why McNair talks about truth and accuracy and balance.

4. Authorship and Ideology: Journalism is journalism because it has an author. So news stories without authors are not journalism. The author adds credibility to the story. Journalism is ideological because the stories we do are built on values, assumption, belief etc.

5. Social world: In journalism, the social world here talks about the people in a society. Journalism is primarily about the social world than the natural world. The natural world becomes an issue of interest to the journalist when it attempt to disorder the society thereby making life uncomfortable for human beings.

In conclusion,

The journalist gathering information should give meaning to what is estimated in the course of gathering and delivering the issues in( text,verbal etc.) that concerns human lives, state institutions culture and values of the people through mass communication channels.