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

But during a summer class at Mesa College, she started to think journalism might not be for her.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026

"This is a magnificent vindication of the Daily Mail's journalism."

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

Schools that charge more than the new federal limits for degrees in fields that tend not to be high-paying — like journalism, teaching or social work — could face significant obstacles in recruiting students.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026

One of the core tensions here is that journalism does not actually have a formal threshold for “incapacity.”

From Salon • Jul. 2, 2026

I was a little late for the briefing because no one had heard of the journalism lab, which turned out to be just an ordinary classroom.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman