Ch 3: A return to practice.

Ch3: Reclaiming Journalism as Public Conversation.

The Western form of journalism emerged around the turn of the century, coming of the public sphere activities where disparate members of the emerging entity called 'the public' met to discuss politics, sports, gossip - in other words, experiences of the everyday.

Gathered in public places:
- houses
- pubs
- cafes
and these in turn became the sites where newspaper reporting pubic conversation emerged.

Journalism indistinct forms other forms of writing such as fiction and public relations (Carey 1997a p.329)

Modern journalism form public opinion rather than reports on it.

Carey: important elements that influenced the shift of journalism from previously a public accountable form -
- national media
- growth of minority of alternative media
- creation of the professional communicator.

Journalism should be seen a part of the broader process of making culture - or imaging, to use Benedict Anderson's term.

Journalism and Fourth Estate:

19th century.
Acknowledges the media as a part of an institution, independent of the other 'three' estates:
- judiciary
- executive
- Parliament.

'custom and status' have affronted this status according to Shultz even though it may not be formally recognised.

It is the independent status of the idea of the Fourth estate that has paced modern journalism in so much conflict with its audiences.

Carey (1997c p.337) suggests that this fourth estate has 'stitched the citizen into a passive role as spectator'. He furthermore argues that this results in a further removed sense of journalism from the public realm.

Carey links journalism, politics and democracy.

The Media as a Cultural Resource:

Ideology: refers to the ideas and assumptions about society and its practice that tend to predominate at a particular time.
Powerful role of media legitimating ideas and assumptions

Gramsci same journalism as a cultural practice that could act to draw out and elaborate elements of critical awareness and good sense. By good sense he mean the best ideas of an era or populace.

'Integral Journalism' - this idea by Gramsci aims yo not only satisfy all the needs of its public but also create and develop these needs, to arouse the public and to 'progressively enlarge it' (1988)

By considering journalism a cultural practice we can examine, and re-examine its cultural role.

Anderson " the convergence of capitals and print technology on the fatal diversity of human language created the possibility of a new form of imagined community, which in its basic morphology set the stage for the modern nation. (1984 p49)

Therefore journalism and journalists played a crucial role in the process of 'imagining' through the cultural form of print technology, which has been superseded in the 20th century by broadsiding and now information technology.

Journalism plays a pivotal role in the strategic management of cultural goods, like the media. in the process of the formation of the 'imagination' and thus, consensus and culture.

Journalism as a cultural Practice:

Journalism as a cultural practice manages the flow of the formation and ideas in society.

Adam suggests that journalism embraces and give a place to notions of commentary, judgement and criticism.

Journalism is often define in relation what it produces: news.
We must then however dwell on what the notion of news entails.

Journalists As Intellectuals:

The intellectual in society.
The age of information technology has brought with it not only to possibility of extending global power structures but also the opportunity to subvert them by increasing the possibility of global democratisation. (Holub, 1992)

Conclusion:

Journalists need to learn how to communicate more effectively with the public as Paul Chadwick (1998a) suggests.
Public journalists professes admirable aims, but how effective can these aims be when journalists and journalism maintain perceptions that naturally set them apart from 'the public'?
Modern journalism must therefore move past this fourth estate status and its accompanying watchdog role, establishing a relationship with audiences based upon something new..