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The Professionalization of Journalism: Impetus or Impediment to a “Watchdog” Press *
Author(s) -
Osiel Mark J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
sociological inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1475-682X
pISSN - 0038-0245
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-682x.1986.tb00082.x
Subject(s) - professionalization , journalism , scrutiny , ideology , autonomy , sociology , law , misconduct , political science , media studies , social science , politics
How have recent efforts by American journalists to “professionalize” affected their capacity to serve as “watchdog” over offcial misconduct? This article examines the organization, ideology, and legal status of American journalism with a view to answering that question. Past and present obstacles to the professionalization of news reporting are evaluated. The growth of professional consciousness and prerogatives has strengthened journalistic resources for critical scrutiny of public life. This conclusion casts doubts on sociology's prevailing view of professionalization as little more than status‐seeking and self‐aggrandizement. As critical journalism has increasingly come to depend on professionalizing ideology and professional organization, efforts to hamper critical journalism have increasingly taken the form of attacks on the professional autonomy of newsmen.