Throughout the world, media pluralism is considered essential to democracy. A pluralistic media -- marked by a variety of outlets with diverse ownership and viewpoints, independence and transparency -- is generally believed to contribute to a press that honors the ideals of democracy and reflects diversity within society.
Some, however, have argued against media pluralism, holding that diverse viewpoints in the media may actually serve to divide rather than unite a people.
Journalists, whether reporters, editors or broadcasters, can end up being convenient targets of blame when the stories they publish stir up public controversy. The bigger the issue, the bigger the blame.
Also, public figures who get "bad press" might claim they were misquoted or their remarks taken out of context. They may blame the reporter or the news organization for dwelling on casual remarks instead of the intended messages.
As we mark International Women's Day 2009, women throughout the world are leveraging their power as leaders in journalism, and paving the way for a future where girls feel empowered to join the profession.
But with progress comes a host of challenges, including that of balancing community and family life with the demands of a stressful and time consuming profession.
For the most part, citizen journalism remains unedited and unfiltered. But some Web sites are trying to change that. Citizen media site GroundReport, for instance, was founded in 2006 by a reporter hoping to find, highlight and monetize the most powerful and credible citizen media reports online.
Calling for an end to sensational reporting in Indian media, a government official in the Southern Indian state of Karnataka recently proposed the idea of a government-appointed "ombudsman" to regulate media in that region.
But after receiving harsh criticism from opponents, including some who called the proposal a "fascist move" intended to prevent the media from reporting freely and fairly, the proposal was retracted last week, according to the Times of India and IndianExpress.com.
Following the recent fatal shooting of Russian reporter Anastasia Baburova, who worked for Russia's liberal opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the paper's management announced last week it had appealed to Russian authorities to allow its journalists to carry weapons.
Similar requests have been made to authorities in Iraq and Mexico, where journalists are killed and attacked in high numbers, and where cases seldom result in successful prosecutions.
In today's digital news environment, independent Internet journalists - who often lack legal support or political connections - are often more vulnerable than those who work for news organizations.
According to a census of imprisoned journalists conducted recently by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), more Internet journalists are jailed worldwide today than journalists working in any other medium.
As newsrooms restructure to adapt to the digital age, journalists are being hit hard by the world economic crisis. While experienced reporters are being laid off, journalists entering the profession face an ever-tightening job market.
Each year, journalists across the globe join associations and organizations that offer members benefits including legal and professional support, professional training opportunities, the chance to network with other journalists and more.
While some journalist organizations successfully promote and protect the role of journalists in society, others have faced hurdles due to governments' unease with press freedom and transparency.
When Barack Obama sealed his victory in the United States Presidential race on Tuesday, November 4, becoming the 44th U.S. president and the first black president, surely, much of the world was watching. News outlets in every region of the world prominently featured the U.S. elections in their news coverage in the days following the results.
How did your news outlet or outlets in your region cover the U.S. election? What was the style of reporting? Was it objective, or was it biased in one candidate's favor?
A new study has found "unique visitors" to be the most important metric of a story's traction online, but there are a number of factors journalists can note to decide if the story has been a success. How do you measure the value of your work?
Sensor journalism lets newsrooms capture and report on their own data instead of depending on governments or other sources. The growing practice raises privacy and safety concerns.
Citizen journalists help cover revolutions, offer personal takes on breaking news and tell stories that would otherwise go untold. How does this impact the role of freelance journalism?
The Romanian senate passed a law last week requiring the media to provide their audiences with 50 percent positive news. The bill’s creators say the law will help fight the harms of negative news and its effects on people’s lives.
