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

A native New Yorker, Ava holds a master’s degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree from Williams College, where she studied Arabic studies and political science.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026

Wolfe had made a name with his full-throated New Journalism dispatches of the 1960s and ’70s, which adopted the techniques of fiction to describe a postwar world that seemed increasingly outlandish.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

About the author: Bill Grueskin is on the faculty of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

The Guardian reported in mid-May on an investigation by the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism, which published the identities of 13 of those killed.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

Journalism, to Mrs. Richardson, seemed such a noble calling, one where you could do good from within the system, and in her mind she envisioned a mix of Nellie Bly and Lois Lane.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng