Professional Journalism Essay - 906 Words

In the article, ‘The Professionalization of Journalism’ John C. Merrill addresses the issue of whether or not journalism should become a professionalized occupation. Merrill notes that although journalism is not presently considered to be a profession, many journalists perceive themselves as being professionals. The Oxford Shorter Dictionary defines ‘profession’ as â€Å"Occupation which one professes to be skilled in and to follow. . . .A vocation in which professed knowledge of some branch of learning is used in its application to the affairs of others, or in the practice of an art based upon it.† Merrill outlines several advantages those within a professionalized occupation benefit from including an elite image, a level of regulation and†¦show more content†¦Also taken into account are several characteristics of professions from the book ‘The Professions in America’. The book includes objective thinking, trustworthiness, h igh levels of expertise, requested protection, solidarity among members and entrance standards as the primary characteristics required by an occupation to be deemed a profession. Merrill considers also several characteristics of professions outlined by Bernard Barber in ‘The Professions in America’. Barber argues there are four attributes an occupation must present to be named a profession which include; high level of systematic and generalized knowledge, orientation to the community rather than to the individual, group-controlled behavior and a system of rewards. Barber argues all four attributes must be present among members in order for a group to become professionalized. Upon considering these views on professionalization, Merrill concludes that while journalism does hold some of the essential characteristics of a profession, the occupation does not demonstrate a sufficient amount of the necessary attributes to merit professionalization. Merrill supports his argument against the professionalization of journalism by considering the characteristics mentioned and asking whether the art of journalism effectively demonstrates these attributes. Merrill provides several reasons to support his argumentShow MoreRelatedThe Dangers in the Job: Professional Journalism in Conflict Areas769 Words   |  4 Pagesreally constitutes a journalist. Professional journalists are definitely unlike your average person. They are trained to report all sides of an issue without favoritism or bias. Serving the people and no one else is what theyre qualified to do. Experienced journalists carry the responsibility to tell the truth about what is happening in the world. 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