journalism

American  

[jur-nl-iz-uhm] / ˈdʒɜr nlˌɪz əm /

noun

1. the occupation of reporting, writing, editing, photographing, or broadcasting news or of conducting any news organization as a business.

2. press.

3. a course of study preparing students for careers in reporting, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines.

4. writing that reflects superficial thought and research, a popular slant, and hurried composition, conceived of as exemplifying topical newspaper or popular magazine writing as distinguished from scholarly writing.

   He calls himself a historian, but his books are mere journalism.

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journalism British  

/ ˈdʒɜːnəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the profession or practice of reporting about, photographing, or editing news stories for one of the mass media

2. newspapers and magazines collectively; the press

3. the material published in a newspaper, magazine, etc

   this is badly written journalism

4. news reports presented factually without analysis

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Etymology

Origin of journalism

From the French word journalisme, dating back to 1825–35. See journal, -ism

Explanation

If your dream job includes writing for a newspaper or interviewing famous people for a magazine, you hope to someday work in the field of journalism. Working for a radio or TV news show, a magazine, a newspaper, or a news-related website would all be considered journalism. Those jobs might include reporting, writing, editing, photography, or documentary film making. An individual newspaper or magazine is sometimes called a "journal," and the category of these publications is also called journalism. The first newspaper ever published was a German journal printed in Strassburg in 1605, called "Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien."

Example Sentences

I started working in legal journalism right as Trump took office, which meant that one of the first major news stories I covered was Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court and his confirmation hearings.

From Slate • May 13, 2026

Gunjan Banerji’s first job in journalism was covering municipal bonds—and she loved it.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Initially, the Cable News Network struggled to draw viewers, but that changed with the Persian Gulf War, when Turner’s investment in international journalism paid off.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

USC journalism professor and longtime record collector Oscar Garza describes these markings as “Chicano hieroglyphics… a reflection of the friends who shared the memories of that song or album.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

I earned a master’s degree in journalism and took the first job offered, as a sports writer.

From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom