In America, a blogger reviewing a free gadget must legally say so
The US Federal Trade Commission requires bloggers who write about products they were given for free to disclose the gift. The rule exists because in the United States almost anyone can practise journalism, and bloggers are often treated as journalists. That openness sharpens an old question: what separates reporting from promotion?
Journalism means gathering and publishing reports on the events, ideas and people that make up the news of the day, with a commitment to accuracy and checking facts. The word covers the occupation, whether paid or not, as well as its information-gathering methods and its writing styles. Its role differs by country. In some places the state controls the media; elsewhere news outlets are private businesses independent of government, and laws on press freedom, slander and libel vary widely.
Credible American news organisations tend to share some structures: incorporation, editorial boards, and a wall between newsroom and advertising departments. Many follow ethics codes of their own or of bodies such as the Society of Professional Journalists or Investigative Reporters and Editors. Print newspapers divide content into sections, which helps readers separate fact from opinion. Columnists and op-ed pages carry personal views, while breaking news and feature stories aim to strip opinion out; in other media, those boundaries blur, so headings and design cues matter.
Whether reporters must be strictly neutral is hotly argued. They work within particular social settings, time pressure can undermine accuracy on complex stories, and ethics codes ask them to represent every legitimate viewpoint. The media scholar Robert McChesney argues that healthy democratic journalism must scrutinise those in power and those seeking it, air a range of opinions and serve everyone's information needs. Journalism is often called the fourth estate, a watchdog on government, though forms vary from advocacy writing to access journalism, in which reporters avoid topics that might embarrass powerful sources.
The internet and smartphones have upended the business. Since the early twenty-first century audiences have shifted toward phones, e-readers and other digital platforms, and some regions have lost traditional newspapers altogether. Print revenue has fallen faster than digital income has grown, leaving news organisations still searching for a sustainable model.
Source: Journalism
