Research On The Development Of American Journalistic Professionalism

American journalistic professionalism has been a hot research area in Chinasince1990s. Chinese media also needs learning from it due to the complicatedenvironment in which Chinese media has to deal with its relationships with thegovernment, the market and the public. So, American journalistic professionalism is akey issue worth researching.This dissertation defines journalistic professionalism based on the ProfessionalSociology theory. It is a set of professional values and according practice in a processof construction. As a whole, American journalistic professionalism includes severalelements—professional autonomy, objectivity as the professional norm, public service,professional associations, professional ethics and professional education. Thisdissertation divides the development of American journalistic professionalism intofour phases and analyzes its construction in different aspects, such as objectivity norm,public service, media association, media ethics and journalism education. Finally thisdissertation analyzes the influence of American journalistic professionalism in bothAmerica and China, and trying to draw on its useful experience to the development ofChinese journalism.This dissertation has six parts—the introduction, the starting period ofAmerican journalistic professionalism, journalistic professionalism construction withmedia responsibility theory, public journalism and the construction of Americanjournalistic professionalism, American journalistic professionalism in newenvironment and the influence of American journalistic professionalism. In its startingperiod(1890~1942), the condition of construction of American journalisticprofessionalism became mature. Objectivity as the professional norm of journalismwas set up around1910. Media public service has been popularly accepted by mediapractitioners. National media associations have been established and made out code ofjournalism ethics. Journalism education has been regarded by journalism practitionersas a way of professional training. When American journalistic professionalism enteredthe second phase (1942~1988), along with the political, economic and cultural change,media’s relationships with the government and the public has got worse. To save itslegitimacy, American journalism followed some advices advanced by the Commissionon Freedom of the Press, though the influence of the media responsibility theorybecame visible20years after it took shape as a theory. The connotation of objectivitynorm has been expanded. Balance, especially ethnical balance has been stressed bythe diversity efforts of the newsroom. Public broadcast networks provided morepublic service. Media association revised ethic codes or formulated new ones. Mediaself-regulation has been built up. As for journalism education, the adoption ofCommunication theory and research enhanced the academic status of journalism. Inthe third stage (1988~2001), the political crisis and the continuing media ownershipconcentration along with the development of technology posed great threats toAmerican journalistic professionalism. To save journalism, public journalism has beenlaunched both in theory and practice. Media has made efforts to get the publicinvolved in media agenda setting and political life, and trying to find and solve issues in communities instead of only serving information. The identity of the public ascitizens instead of consumers has been stressed. Media associations have strengthenedself-regulation by revising code of ethics into a longer version with more specificrules to address new problems. While these efforts worked a lot to counterbalance thethreats American journalism faced, new worries appeared. The role of journalists asparticipants based on the public journalism contradicted the traditional role ofjournalists as observers. And the public journalism was carried out in the small unitsof communities prevented journalism to pursue general good which was claimed bythe campaign itself. Besides, journalism education can not meet the expectation of themedia by providing skillful media students. When American journalisticprofessionalism entered21stcentury, it also entered the times that have never been souncertain for American journalism and journalists. The deteriorating media economy,the rapid development of internet and we-media and the tightened information controlby the government after9.11as well as the patriotism give less room for media tosurvive, let alone provide public service. Objectivity-centered news production andmedia ethics are easier to be damaged also. The author advances suggestions for thereconstruction of American journalistic professionalism that America journalismshould advocate corporate social responsibility theory to relieve the economic burdenthe news media carries. Because this theory holds that media management, not onlyjournalists should claim social responsibility to serve the public instead of pursuingprofit. Besides, America should promote media literacy in order to foster betteraudience to keep the news media under certain suitable pressure, which would resultin better quality news in a time when citizen journalism is on the rise.At the end, this dissertation analyzes the influence of American journalisticprofessionalism in both America and China. The fact that American journalisticprofessionalism could not avoid threats and get rid of troubles proves that it has birthdefects rooted in the political and economic structure in which it grew up and thelimitation of the journalism practitioners as human beings. It also proves that as aprofessional ideology American journalistic professionalism still has vitality byself-correction. Although it has been criticized for many reasons, its function to betterthe inner-control of the media organization and relationships with the government andthe public could never be denied. In China main land, Journalism was stronglyinfluenced by American journalism before1949, especially commercial newspapersand journalism education. And ever since1978, the opening policy and establishmentof market economy opened the door again for American journalistic professionalismto reenter China and became a hot area. From all above we can say China can notcompletely transplant American journalistic professionalism. But Chinese media canactually get useful reference from it indeed, such as seeking truth in pursuit ofobjectivity, treating the public as citizens, building up professional ethics, etc.