CHANGING DEFINITIONS OF JOURNALISM AND JOURNALIST IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITALIZATION: SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Abstract

The possibilities offered by digital technology cause significant changes and transformations in the
media sector. The circulations and revenues of legacy print media are falling rapidly, newspapers
are closing, and journalists are losing their jobs. People follow the news online, especially on
mobile devices rather than on print media. This upheaval process also reflects in the definitions of
journalism and journalist. Today, there is an ongoing debate about which activity can be described
as journalism and who can be described as a journalist. In this study, after pointing out the origins
of the differences in the definitions of journalism and journalist, the approaches of various
professional organizations are examined, and some suggestions thought to contribute to the healthy
conduct of the discussions are also included. As a result, taking into account the possibilities of
digital technology, which forces change and transformatüion in the field of communication as in the
other fields, it is argued that the discussions should be based on whether the journalistic activity is
carried out in accordance with its functionality and universal journalistic standards.