What is a journalist?

As the face of journalism rapidly expands, changes and morphs into the online age of the 21st century, it raises many questions and issues both media producers and consumers. Suellen Tapsall and Carolyn Varley clearly point this out in Chapter 1 of "Journalism: Theory in Practice" (Tapsall and Varley, 2001, pp.3), "It used to be simple. If you wanted to know what was going on in the world, you picked up the paper, listened to the radio, or turned on the television." We all know that this is far from the case today.

Although these traditional media formats still exist and are still used by a broad audience, the internet has really changed the face of how media is produced and consumed. Firstly, consumption, and news is simply a click away. A world at the end of your fingertips and sitting right in front of your face. From nineMSN to google and everything in between, people of all ages who have access to the World Wide Web can access information at their leisure at what ever time they see fit. This information no longer has to come from the morning newspaper, John Laws or the 6pm news bulletin.

The production of news has also changed dramatically. Interviews are now podcast as well as broadcast, newspaper hacks blog and television footage makes You Tube. This has blurred the line between producer and consumer but Tapsall and Varely believe the essence of journalism remains: "Ultimately, the essence that distinguishes journalists from these other information brokers might be the commitment to the public good and the notion of responsibility beyond self and employer. The commitment will need to be balanced with a commitment to truthfulness, accuracy, and personal and professional integrity, and a realistic appreciation of the current dependence of journalists on the news organisations' bottom line."

Today, there is a convergance of journalistic skills across various technological advances but some of the qualities mentioned above must remain.

Do you think a journalist has these qualities today? Is it important to uphold these qualities? What other qualities should journalists possess?