Social media has changed our social reality — including journalism. Social media tools (including blogs, wikis, social networks and video sharing services) have undeniably blurred the boundaries between journalism as a practice and journalism as a profession.

Copyright 2012 Christopher Scanlon / La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Contact for permissions.

Journalism: Profession vs Practice

Newspapers and magazines play an important role in economic, political, social and personal life. Focusing primarily on the press in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, this subject examines the history of the press, the principles that underlie and inform the press, ongoing debates about quality and 'tabloidisation' and the opportunities and challenges posed by new technologies. A core theme running throughout the subject is the changing business model that underlies the press and effects these changes are having on the traditional role of the press in liberal democratic societies.