Who Is the Real Journalist?

 

By Priyabrat Biswal

 

The changing nature of news production raises an uncomfortable but increasingly relevant question: Who is the real journalist today? Is it the reporter working for a newspaper, television channel or digital platform? Or is it the Public Relations professional who researches, writes and distributes the press release that eventually becomes the news?

At first glance, the question may sound provocative. Yet the evolution of journalism, particularly in India, makes it difficult to ignore.

There was a time when journalism revolved around reporting, questioning and verifying. Governments, corporate houses and institutions regularly organised press conferences where journalists gathered not merely to collect information but to challenge it. They listened carefully, asked uncomfortable questions and returned to their newsrooms with enough material to produce balanced stories. Tough questions were expected, criticism was accepted as part of public accountability, and both sides understood their respective roles.

Those days are fading fast.

Today, much of what passes as news begins and ends with a press release. In many newsrooms, journalists spend more time editing official handouts than reporting independently. Government departments, corporate houses and institutions prepare professionally drafted releases, complete with quotes, statistics and photographs, leaving little for reporters to add except headlines and minor editorial changes.

The shift became even more pronounced after the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual briefings replaced physical press conferences, and many organisations realised they could communicate their message more efficiently — and with far less risk. Why spend money organising elaborate media interactions? More importantly, why invite probing questions when a carefully worded press release and an online presentation achieve the same objective without scrutiny?

Even when physical press conferences are organised today, invitations often go to a select few. The press release is usually distributed before the event concludes, making independent reporting almost redundant. This should concern everyone who values journalism.

A press release is, by design, a promotional document. Its purpose is to present an organisation in the best possible light by highlighting achievements, and carefully selecting facts. There is nothing unethical about this. Public Relations professionals are simply doing the job they are paid to do.

The problem begins when journalism stops doing its own.

A press release tells us what an organisation wants us to know. Journalism is supposed to uncover what it does not. The official announcement is rarely the complete story. The real news often lies in unanswered questions, missing context, inconvenient facts and voices excluded from the official narrative. That untold story is what distinguishes journalism from publicity.

Unfortunately, commercial realities have blurred this distinction. Many media organisations operate under severe financial pressure. Advertising revenues, government campaigns and corporate partnerships have become essential for survival. In such an environment, editorial independence often competes with commercial interests. Asking difficult questions may mean risking revenue, access or influence.

The consequences are visible. Investigative reporting has declined in many newsrooms. Field reporting has diminished. Original stories have become fewer, while officially supplied content has become increasingly common. Too often, news is managed rather than discovered.

This brings us back to the uncomfortable question.

Who deserves greater credit for the published story? The Public Relations professional who gathered information, structured the narrative and drafted the press release? Or the journalist who merely edited it to suit the publication's style?

This is not an attempt to diminish journalists who continue to report independently despite shrinking resources and growing pressures. Many still investigate, verify and challenge those in power. They embody the finest traditions of journalism. Yet they are becoming exceptions in an ecosystem that increasingly rewards convenience over curiosity.

Journalism was never meant to reproduce official statements. Its duty is to verify, question, investigate and serve the public interest. Its credibility has never rested on faithfully publishing press releases, but on asking more questions, checking facts and uncovering truths that someone would prefer to keep hidden. That is where journalism begins. Everything before that is merely communication.

 

(The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website or its management.)