Journalist is not just a profession, it's a calling

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

In today's world, when everyone thinks they are the smartest and most knowledgeable in public, political, educational issues, it is quite difficult to be a journalist. But journalism has always been and will always be needed.

Look into the past

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Russian journalism, although it existed, was not yet completely strengthened.

However, even at that time there were people who forever inscribed their name in journalistic history. I would like to note that these were mostly not trained specialists, but the so-called white-collar proletarians. Among the first masters of a fast, capacious and accurate word were writers and writers. Only a few of them were engaged exclusively in journalism. Unfortunately, it is their names that have sunk into oblivion.

Russian writer Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko is one of the first investigative journalists.

Vladimir Galaktionovich found his calling in journalism in the last decades of the 19th century. His brightest materials can be attributed to the category of investigations in the field of social crimes. One of the most topical "The Case of the Multan Votyaks". Canto say that without the participation of Korolenko, without his scrupulous study of all the facts of the case, innocent people would have been convicted of the murder. Investigating the truth, Vladimir Galaktionovich carried out research, which resulted in numerous articles, notes, letters and speeches.

Korolenko's journalism is the clearest example of a worthy embodiment of a media worker.

Unfortunately, not all representatives of this profession can be proud of. This is easy to explain: journalists tend to distort facts, misrepresent information, and its untruthfulness. That is why a comprehensive study of the problem is important for the profession.

The role of a journalist

What is the role of a modern journalist? What contribution does he make to society? What is its main purpose? And what are the dangers and opportunities of one of the most ancient professions?

A journalist is not just a writer who must objectively cover the realities of modern life. The main criteria are reliability and impartiality. And all because a journalist is a kind of conductor, conveying the collected verified information to society. This is a philosopher who is able, neglecting his own ambitions, to tell the truth to people. A journalist is a creator who, through his work, not only conveys his thoughts to the minds of people, but also makes them think about the significance of the problem raised.

What traits should a journalist have?

The profession of a journalist obliges a person to win over an opponent, while unobtrusivelyextracting the necessary information from it. He must be not deprived of intelligence and ingenuity in order to get to the heart of the matter without delay. He must be aware of what is happening. In addition, he must be mentally and physically ready for everyday work, which sometimes does not fit into any time frame.

A journalist is not just a profession, it is a vocation, thanks to which every person on the planet can visit anywhere in the world, barely opening a printed publication or watching a TV report. Viewers and readers, thanks to journalists, indirectly get acquainted with interesting and extraordinary people.

Remembrance Day for Dead Journalists

The profession of a journalist is fraught with many secrets and dangers. In shaping the public view of the world, correspondents and reporters often put themselves at risk…

And this blow is not always moral and emotional. It is not uncommon for journalists to die while doing their professional duty.

In 1991, the Union of Journalists of Russia decided that December 15 would be the Day of Remembrance for those who died in the line of professional duty of journalists. It was established to remind people how difficult and dangerous the work of media workers is.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, according to 2013 data, named Russia one of the most dangerous countries for reporters. They also include Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, India, Brazil, Philippines.

Death statistics from the International Federation of Journalists and the International Institutesecurity, they say that Russian journalists die in the service more often than others.

In 2014, INSI (International Institute for the Safety of Journalists) ranked Ukraine among the above countries. Ivan Shimonovich, UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, said that she is the same as of 2015. He noted that the problem of the safety of journalists has improved. However, media workers are still at great risk.

Why are media workers dying?

The UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights noted that approximately 50% of deaths occur in the conflict zone. That is, the reason lies in the military actions taken by the parties. However, he also named another source of tragic outcomes: an increase in propaganda in the media.

In confirmation of the first reason, we can name an accident that occurred in the spring of 2015 near the village of Shirokoe, Donetsk region. Andrei Lunev, a correspondent for the Zvezda TV channel, received numerous injuries to his neck, chest, head and legs as a result of a grenade explosion.

The second reason, propaganda, according to Shimonovich, confirms the murder of Oles Buzina. The correspondent of the electronic version of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta Dmitry Sosnovsky characterized the Ukrainian writer and journalist:

It is believed that he was shot because of his political views.

Who is he - Andrei Lunev: a victim or an executioner?

On siteRadio Liberty On April 14, 2015, information appeared that shocked the public. Candidate of Sciences, teacher, volunteer Sergei Gakov argued that Andrey Lunev was blown up not by chance … And he is far from being a victim, as everyone sees him, but part of a mechanism that includes people who mock prisoners. Moreover, Sergei Gakov believes that it is difficult to call the footage filmed by the correspondent even propaganda. This is an outright lie.

Honoring the memory of the fallen

In Rostov-on-Don, sculptor Karen Parsamyan demonstrated to the audience a composition featuring dead journalists.

The sculpture includes 4 heroes who died in Ukraine.

The author's composition was inspired by Russian journalists who died in the line of duty. They were Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, employees of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company who were killed during a mortar shelling of the Lugansk region in June 2014, Anatoly Klyan, the cameraman of Channel One, who was mortally wounded in the stomach while heading to one of the military units, Andrey Stenin, photojournalist for Russia Today”, shot and burned in a car in southeastern Ukraine.