Journalism
Written by Abin Alex and Anu Joseph.
Abstract
Journalism is the profession of communicating news to inform, educate and entertain. This guide explains where the word comes from, how the Indian press developed from Hicky's Bengal Gazette to language papers, who works in a newsroom, and how broadsheet and tabloid formats differ. It sets out the principles journalism follows, the power of the press, eighteen kinds of journalism, and the laws and Press Council that govern the Indian press, and it notes where sources disagree on dates and why that matters for photographers.
Keywords: Journalism; Indian press history; broadsheet and tabloid; Press Council of India; kinds of journalism
- What is journalism?
- Where do the words journalism and newspaper come from?
- How did the Indian press develop?
- Who counts as a journalist?
- What is the difference between a broadsheet and a tabloid?
- What principles does journalism follow?
- How does the press shape what we think about?
- What kinds of journalism are there?
- What laws and bodies govern the Indian press?
- How has journalism changed?
What is journalism?
Short answer. Journalism is the profession of communicating news to inform, educate and entertain.
- Journalism is the profession of communicating news for information, education and entertainment through a particular medium.
- Mahatma Gandhi described journalism as a public service. The idea that the press serves the public, not only its owners, runs through everything in this guide.
- A journalist is anyone who contributes to gathering, selecting and processing news and current affairs for the press, radio, film, television, cable and the internet.
- Photojournalism is one branch of this work. It tells the news in images. Read the Photojournalism guide after this one.
- Figure 1 shows the path of a story.
Pick one news story from today's paper. Write who gathered it, who selected it and who edited it, as far as the bylines tell you.
A news bulletin on television uses the same chain: gathering, selecting, editing and presenting.
Cham tipRead one newspaper a day for a week. Notice what it chooses to put first.
Cham taskWrite 100 words on what public service means for a news photographer.
Check yourself: What three purposes does journalism serve?
Information, education and entertainment.
Where do the words journalism and newspaper come from?
Short answer. From the Latin diurnalis, meaning daily, and from Rome's handwritten daily bulletin.
- The words journal, journalist and journalism come from the French journal, which comes from the Latin diurnalis, meaning daily.
- The Acta Diurna was a handwritten bulletin put up daily in the Roman Forum. It is often described as one of the world's first newspapers, from around 59 BC.
- The world's first newspaper meant for regular publication is usually taken to be Relation, printed in 1605 by the German publisher Johann Carolus.
- Later pamphlets, periodicals, gazettes, news books and letters came to be called newspapers. Their writers were first called news writers or essayists, and later journalists.
- In Mughal India, court news writers recorded the empire's events in a weekly report called a waqia. The British colonial rulers used informers for their own intelligence.
Look at a newspaper masthead. Find the date line. That daily rhythm is the meaning of diurnalis.
Rome's bulletin was posted, not delivered. Think of how a billboard or a screen in a public square does the same job today.
Cham tipWhen you cite a first, say who says so. Many firsts are disputed.
Cham taskWrite three lines on how a daily bulletin differs from a weekly one.
Check yourself: Which Latin word gave us journal?
Diurnalis, meaning daily.
How did the Indian press develop?
Short answer. From Hicky's Bengal Gazette in 1780 to language papers and a free, regulated press.
- William Bolts announced a plan for a newspaper in Calcutta in 1776, according to one source, but the Company's response ended it early (PW Only IAS, n.d.). Some sources give 1766.
- James Augustus Hicky published the Bengal Gazette in 1780. It is called the first newspaper published from Calcutta (Banglapedia, n.d.). Hicky's permit was cancelled, his press was seized and he left India in 1782 (Banglapedia, n.d.; PW Only IAS, n.d.).
- Indian-language papers followed. The Serampore missionaries produced Samachar Darpan, and Raja Ram Mohan Roy published the Persian paper Mirat-ul-Akbar.
- Bombay Samachar, a Gujarati paper, appeared in 1822. Balshastri Jambhekar, called the Father of Marathi journalism, started his Durpun in 1832 (Indian Culture, n.d.). The lecture dates Bombay Darpan to 1850, which looks wrong.
- In Kerala, Deepika began in 1887 and Malayala Manorama began in 1890 in Kottayam.
- After independence, the Press (Objectionable Matter) Act came in 1951. The first Press Commission was appointed in 1952 and reported in 1954 (Journalism University, n.d.). The lecture says 1956, which looks wrong.
- The Press Council of India began work on 16 November 1966, which is now National Press Day (Journalism University, n.d.) (Figure 2).
Find the oldest newspaper in your language. Note its founding year and who started it.
Period films about colonial India often show these early presses. Check dates before you use them in a script.
Cham tipDates in older lectures and websites differ. Check two sources before you print a year.
Cham taskMake a timeline of five Indian newspapers, with the year each began.
Check yourself: Which paper is called the first newspaper published from Calcutta?
Hicky's Bengal Gazette, 1780.
Who counts as a journalist?
Short answer. Editors, reporters, photojournalists, camera crews and more.
- A newsroom has many roles. Table 1 lists the main ones.
- Stringers are part-time journalists. Freelance journalists contribute occasionally. Paparazzi are freelance photographers who photograph celebrities and politicians.
- Convergence has widened the job. Many journalists now write for print, speak for radio or television and post online.
| Role | What the role does |
|---|---|
| Editor / chief editor | Leads the newsroom and decides what the paper stands for |
| Sub-editor / assistant editor | Edits copy, writes headlines and fits stories to space |
| Correspondent / reporter | Gathers news from a place or a subject area |
| Proofreader | Checks spelling, names and facts in the final copy |
| Photojournalist / cartoonist | Tells or comments on the news in images |
| Camera crew and video editors | Shoot and cut news for television and online |
| News reader | Presents the news on air |
| Producer / director | Plans and runs a bulletin or programme |
Table 1. Roles in a newsroom.
Photograph a newsroom or a press ground in action. Mark each person's role.
A film unit and a newsroom share the same chain: gather, shoot, edit, present.
Cham tipAs a photographer, learn the sub-editor's needs. Your picture must fit their space.
Cham taskInterview a local reporter or photographer for 10 minutes and note which role in Table 1 they fill.
Check yourself: What is a stringer?
A part-time journalist.
What is the difference between a broadsheet and a tabloid?
Short answer. A broadsheet is large and serious. A tabloid is smaller and often sensational.
- A broadsheet is a standard, full-sized newspaper that treats major stories seriously. It is about 15 inches wide and 20 or more inches tall, though sizes vary around the world, and it tends to use six columns (Figure 3).
- In India, The Times of India, The Hindu and The Indian Express are examples taught as broadsheets.
- A tabloid is smaller than a broadsheet, with no more than five columns. It leans toward celebrity, sport, crime and the private lives of famous people. Blitz and Mid-day are the examples taught.
- Tabloid journalism is often called yellow journalism for its tendency to sensationalise. The two terms are not identical, so use them with care.
- Some tabloids are accused of cheque-book journalism, which means paying subjects for their stories (Table 2).
- Format changes the photograph's job. A broadsheet uses a picture to support a serious story. A tabloid may use a picture to sell the page.
| Feature | Broadsheet | Tabloid |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Large; about 15 by 20 inches or more | Smaller than a broadsheet |
| Columns | About six | No more than five |
| Tone | Serious, often called quality press | Popular or sensational |
| Typical content | Politics, budget, elections, calamities | Celebrities, sport, crime, gossip |
| Wording example | Police officer | Cop |
| Examples taught | The Hindu, The Indian Express | Blitz, Mid-day |
Table 2. Broadsheet and tabloid compared.
Photograph the same event for a broadsheet and for a tabloid. Choose a different frame for each and say why.
Documentary and entertainment news also differ in tone. Pick the tone before you shoot.
Cham tipMatch your picture to the publication. A serious frame in a tabloid, or the reverse, will not run.
Cham taskCompare the front pages of one broadsheet and one tabloid. List three differences.
Check yourself: How many columns does a tabloid use at most?
Five.
What principles does journalism follow?
Short answer. Responsibility, freedom, independence, truth, impartiality and fair play.
- The commonly taught canons of journalism are listed in Table 3.
- The Press Council of India's norms set out the same ideas for Indian practice, including accuracy and fairness (Press Council of India, 2019).
- Public service and public interest are the main concerns. The press must not use its power to favour one political or economic ideology, or one group, class or caste.
- In practice the press sometimes achieves this and sometimes fails, by favouring the powerful and wealthy.
| Canon | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Responsibility | Of the newspaper and the journalist |
| Freedom of the press | A vital right of mankind |
| Independence | Fidelity to the public interest |
| Sincerity, truthfulness, accuracy | Good faith with the reader |
| Impartiality | News reports free from opinion or bias |
| Fair play and decency | Respect for private rights and prompt correction of errors |
Table 3. Canons of journalism as commonly taught.
Choose one canon. Find a news photograph that follows it and one that breaks it. Explain both.
The same canons apply to documentary and news video.
Cham tipCorrect your mistakes quickly and openly. That is fair play.
Cham taskWrite a five-line code of conduct for your own news photography.
Check yourself: Which canon covers correcting errors?
Fair play and decency.
How does the press shape what we think about?
Short answer. The press sets part of the agenda. The public sets part of it back.
- The power of the press depends on its credibility with readers and on how its news is understood. Different groups read the same item differently, depending on their social backgrounds.
- The press keeps us informed about selected events, issues and people. It tells the public what to think about and sometimes how to think.
- The public also sets the press's agenda through its interests, beliefs and expectations (Figure 4).
- The press can change ideas, beliefs and attitudes. It also sometimes fails to hold society's attention even when it tries.
- For a photographer this matters. A picture chosen for the front page tells readers what is important today.
Compare the lead photographs of two papers on the same day. What does each tell its readers to care about?
An editor choosing a lead shot for a bulletin sets the agenda in the same way.
Cham tipBefore you submit pictures, ask what the paper wants its readers to notice today.
Cham taskCollect the lead photographs of three papers on one day. Write what each one sets as the agenda.
Check yourself: What does the public bring to the press's agenda?
Its interests, beliefs and expectations.
What kinds of journalism are there?
Short answer. Eighteen kinds, from mainstream and magazine to citizen, gonzo and churnalism.
- Journalism has split into many kinds, each with different readers, speeds and rules (Table 4).
- Magazine journalism has a longer shelf life and more time to prepare. Magazines analyse an event instead of narrating it briefly, and use pictures partly to make the page attractive.
- Investigative journalism needs in-depth research and proof. Interpretative journalism explains events as well as reporting them. It grew in the 1920s and 1930s, and Time magazine, launched in 1923, is often cited as an early example.
- Online journalism and citizen journalism put speed first. Citizen journalism lets anyone with a phone report, but it may lack verification.
- Ambush journalism is debated. Some call it unethical and sensational. Others defend it as the only way to get comments from people who avoid the media.
- Gonzo journalism is written without a claim to objectivity and puts the reporter in the story. It is associated with Hunter S. Thompson in 1970.
- Churnalism fills pages with press releases and wire material without checking them, usually because of time and cost pressure.
| Kind | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mainstream | Daily reporting in big media houses |
| Area-specific | Covers one field such as film, sport, business or travel |
| Magazine | Longer, more analytical, with more time to prepare |
| Tabloid | Popular, often sensational, sold at crossings and stations |
| Investigative | In-depth research with evidence |
| Advocacy | Builds awareness of one cause |
| Interpretative | Explains the meaning of events |
| Convergent | One journalist writes for print, radio, TV and mobile |
| Online | Websites, social platforms and blogs |
| Fashion | Reports on fashion trends and the business |
| Celebrity | News about public figures' work and lives |
| Sports | Facts, statistics and interviews from sport |
| Citizen | Ordinary people report and share events |
| Environmental | Climate, forests, species and conservation |
| Business and finance | Markets, launches, loans and the economy |
| Ambush | Confronts people who avoid the media |
| Gonzo | First-person, subjective reporting |
| Churnalism | Recycles press releases and wire copy |
Table 4. Kinds of journalism taught in the course.
Choose three kinds from Table 4. Plan the photograph each one needs.
Documentary can be investigative, advocacy or interpretative. Name the kind before you begin.
Cham tipKnow which kind you are working in before you pick the lens and the angle.
Cham taskPick one story and describe how it would look in three kinds of journalism.
Check yourself: What is churnalism?
Recycling press releases and wire copy without checking.
What laws and bodies govern the Indian press?
Short answer. From colonial press regulations to the Press Council and the RTI Act.
- Colonial rulers used laws to control the press. Table 5 lists the main steps.
- The Press Council of India works to preserve the freedom of the press and maintain standards. It hears complaints against newspapers and journalists and can warn, admonish or censure them, but it cannot fine. Its authority covers print media (Journalism University, n.d.).
- The Council publishes Norms of Journalistic Conduct, which include guidance on photographs (Press Council of India, 2019).
- The Right to Information Act, 2005 gives citizens the right to ask public authorities for information. Reporters use it often.
- Copyright and the photographer's own rights are a different body of law. Read the Photography Copyright Law in India guide.
| Year | Law or step | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| 1799 | Censorship of the Press Act (Wellesley) | Introduced pre-censorship; later eased and abolished in 1818 |
| 1823 | Licensing Regulations (Adam) | Required a licence to run a press |
| 1835 | Metcalfe Act | Repealed the 1823 rules |
| 1857 | Licensing Act | Emergency licensing after the uprising, limited to one year |
| 1867 | Press and Registration of Books Act | Required printer and place of printing to be shown |
| 1878 | Vernacular Press Act | Targeted Indian-language papers |
| 1951 | Press (Objectionable Matter) Act | Post-independence restrictions |
| 1965 and 1978 | Press Council Acts | Created the Council in 1966; repealed in 1975; restored by the 1978 Act |
| 2005 | Right to Information Act | Citizens' right to information from authorities |
Table 5. Press laws and bodies. Sources: PW Only IAS (n.d.); Journalism University (n.d.). The 1878 and 1951 entries are not covered by the sources cited.
Find your state's Press Council complaint process and note how a reader can complain about a photograph.
Broadcast and digital media follow other rules. Check them before you publish video.
Cham tipBefore publishing a sensitive photograph, read the Council's norms once.
Cham taskList three ways a law or the Council could affect a news photographer.
Check yourself: Can the Press Council of India fine a newspaper?
No. It can warn, admonish or censure.
How has journalism changed?
Short answer. Faster, multi-skilled and online, with new pressures on accuracy.
- Journalism was once a simple process of gathering, processing and disseminating information. Competition has added responsibilities.
- Technology and the economics of media have pushed companies to hire journalists with several skills. A single person may write, shoot, record and post.
- Print has moved online. Newspapers publish digital editions, and mobile messaging now outruns television for speed.
- Speed raises the risk of error. The principles in this guide matter more, not less, when news moves fast.
Shoot one news event and deliver it three ways: a print picture, a vertical social video and a caption for a messaging app.
A multi-skilled journalist is close to a one-person film crew. The discipline is the same: check, then publish.
Cham tipVerify first. Speed that spreads a mistake helps no one.
Cham taskList the skills a journalist needs today that were not needed in 1990.
Check yourself: Why do the principles matter more as news moves faster?
Speed increases the risk of error.
Questions beginners ask
What is journalism?
Journalism is the profession of communicating news to inform, educate and entertain through a medium such as print, radio, television or the internet.
What is the difference between a broadsheet and a tabloid?
A broadsheet is a large, serious newspaper with about six columns. A tabloid is smaller, with no more than five columns, and leans toward celebrity, crime and sensational stories.
Which was the first newspaper in India?
Hicky's Bengal Gazette, published from Calcutta in 1780, is called the first newspaper published in India.
What does the Press Council of India do?
It works to preserve press freedom and standards, publishes norms of journalistic conduct and hears complaints against print media. It can warn or censure but cannot fine.
What are the main kinds of journalism?
They include mainstream, magazine, investigative, interpretative, online, citizen, sports, business, environmental and gonzo journalism.
How is photojournalism related to journalism?
Photojournalism is a branch of journalism that tells the news mainly through images.
References
- Banglapedia (n.d.) 'Bengal Gazette, The', Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Available at: https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Bengal_Gazette,_The (Accessed: 1 November 2026).
- Indian Culture (n.d.) Bal Gangadhar Shastri Jambhekar (1812 to 1846). Government of India. Available at: https://indianculture.gov.in/node/2815598 (Accessed: 1 November 2026).
- Journalism University (n.d.) 'Press ethics, freedom and the Press Council of India Act, 1978'. Available at: https://journalism.university/media-ethics-and-laws/press-ethics-freedom-press-council-india-act-1978 (Accessed: 1 November 2026).
- Press Council of India (2019) Norms of journalistic conduct. New Delhi: Press Council of India. Available at: https://www.presscouncil.nic.in/WriteReadData/PDF/Norms2019.pdf (Accessed: 31 October 2026). Read in part.
- PW Only IAS (n.d.) 'Evolution of Indian press history'. Available at: https://pwonlyias.com/upsc-notes/evolution-of-indian-press-history/ (Accessed: 1 November 2026).
How to cite this guide. Alex, A., & Joseph, A. (2026). journalism: A guide for photographers and cinematographers. Creative Hut Academy. https://creativehut.org/library/journalism/
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