The Ideology That Journalists Do Not Need to Pass Any Test or Licensed to Practice Their Profession

Journalism and the Need for Testing and Licensing

Journalism is pivotal in the production and dissemination of information on recent events globally. Majority of the individuals worldwide depend on the distribution of reports from the journalists through the media such as newspapers, television, and radio among others to have a vivid comprehension of the activities happening around them the entire world. This paper examines whether the ideology that journalists do not need to pass any test or licensed to practice their profession is good or bad for the journalism and whether thought is good or bad for the U.S. democracy. Moreover, the paper will discuss the fact of allowing the journalist to pass one test, what kind of things would they know and the skills they need to have.

The Impact of Lack of Testing on Journalism

The idea of the journalist not requiring to be licensed or passing any test to practice their profession can be bad for journalism. Journalists need to undertake some assessments to test their professionalism in handling information through their context and interpretation before disseminating it to the rest of the world. Journalism relies on the professional discipline to assemble and authenticate facts to convey a reasonable and consistent account of their connotation subjected to further scrutiny (PAJ 40). Lack of testing the journalist’s professionalism can contribute to the absence of transparency in the sources and methods used leading to audience making a wrong assessment of the information.

The Impact of Lack of Testing on U.S. Democracy

Lack of testing the journalist can affect the democracy of the United States due to the lack of understanding about equality and liberty since journalism revolutionizes democracy in the country (PAJ 47). Consequently, the media follows up generally on the legal and judicial development of the country and any injustice done to the citizens by displaying it through various media houses as well as the social network for justice to be prevailed (PAJ 47). Henceforth, lack of adequate skills in the professionalism can contribute to the manipulation of the citizens, since they will not be in a position to sensitize the citizens on their rights (PAJ 48).

The Importance of Testing and Skills for Journalists

On the other hand, if journalists had to pass one test to enter the professionalism, there are certain things they need to know, more so, there are specific skills they ought to acquire. They need to be transparent about the sources and methods they used to disseminate the information so that the audiences can make their assessment of the data (PAJ 52). Moreover, they ought to put their allegiance more on the citizens by endeavoring to put the public concern above their self-interest and assumptions. Further, they ought to have enough skills through their professional discipline in the assembling and verification of facts before disseminating the information to the public (PAJ 52). Additionally, journalists need to have competent skills to convey honest and dependable report of their meaning, subjected to their investigation.

Impacts of Testing on Journalism and U.S. Democracy

Conclusively, conducting tests on journalist will impact significantly towards the journalism professionalism and the United States democracy, since journalists will have competent skills to assemble and verify information collected about subsequent events happening in the society.

Works Cited

Craft, Stephanie, and Charles N. Davis. Principles of American Journalism: An Introduction. 2nd. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.