Contents
The Evolution of Journalism: A Comparison of Pre-20th-Century and Modern News Practices
Journalism maintains strong significance by providing information exchange and public discussion platforms which flaunt transformative interactions with society. Since newspapers carried ideological positions in the first days of journalism the profession now centres around professional integrity and tech advances plus neutrality as its core principles. Commercial and political pressures which dictated journalism during pre-20th century periods have evolved into contemporary news standards that reflect different newsroom compositions alongside free journalistic practice and reader participation. The period before the 20th century featured journalism that had restrictions in information acquisition while also operating at a slow pace because political figures together with wealthy donors maintained extensive editorial control.
The main function of newspapers during that period became news dissemination for political entities and interest organizations which disregarded factual accuracy and minimized impartiality. The modern era of journalism adopted objectivity through professional standards as its fundamental principle after they were established. Modern news production benefits from new media technologies including radio television and digital platforms because these advances provide instant accessible information to larger audiences (Schudson, 1989).
The research investigates the basic differences and similarities between traditional journalism pre-20th century and contemporary new practices especially in the context of South African journalism history. This case study of press practices uses examples from changes to journalistic objectivity modernization, changing newsroom control, technological innovation and audience participation to identify how press practices evolved through time and both the economic and political changes that influence those practices.
Journalism After 1900
The twentieth century brought major changes to journalism because it introduced objective reporting and strengthened professionalism in newsrooms as well as powerful technological transformations. Journalism transformed into a new era that brought different ethical guidelines and corporate impacts while quick media technology developments transformed news collection, production, and distribution.
Rise of Objectivity and Professionalism
The late 19th century brought forth objectivity as the key guiding principle in journalism. Modern journalism adopted fact-based reporting because newspapers used to exist as partisan platforms before this era. The elevation of objectivity and professionalism emerged because readers increasingly depended on unbiased news content to establish credibility while seeking objective sources of information. Through its professionalization journalists developed standardized ethical guidelines that included accuracy along with fairness and impartiality (Deuze, 2005). In order to build journalistic integrity schools that taught journalism along with professional organizations focused on educating members about investigative methods and fact-checking standards.
Changes in Newsroom Practices
The news industry underwent substantial organizational changes after 1900 because of corporate media acquisitions. When news Media shifted toward commercial operations big media businesses started to dominate the newsmaking process while they controlled editorial content which led to their influence on public conversation. Media organizations implemented newsroom policies based on economic interests because advertising revenue played an essential role in their financial sustainability (Breed, 1955). The increasing independence of journalists in later periods did not eliminate their need to deal with editorial and business factors which determined how reports were selected and presented to the public.
Technological Advancements and Journalism
During the 20th and 21st centuries remarkable technological advancements completely transformed how people made and distributed news updates. The invention of radio together with television enabled journalists to broadcast reports during real-time through new digital broadcast systems. This expanded journalism beyond traditional printed newspapers. With the arrival of the digital age people gained instant worldwide news access through internet-based and mobile journalism platforms and social media networks. News delivery speed increased rapidly through technological innovations that allowed readers and viewers to access new interactive forms of news participation that existed beyond this century (Fourie, 2010).
Though these innovations have improved accessibility and immediacy, they have also derived issues such as misinformation and the physical press’s weakening revenue models. The evolution of the journalism after 1900 is a tale of professionalism, economic forces, and technological progress. Now you have even more cause for concern: modern journalism has taken the philosophy of objectivity as well as ethical methods of reporting but at the same time, it is constantly seeing influences from corporate interests and rapid digitization. And these shifts have embedded themselves within the industry, keeping journalism relevant in the wake of society’s changing needs.
South African Journalism: Case Study
Through its journalistic development South Africa displayed its diverse political background which includes colonial subjugation together with apartheid struggle and digital media development. The development of South African journalism maintained its essential role by influencing public discussions then progressed into political activism while presenting social friction at each stage of its history.
Pre-1900 Journalism in South Africa
During the period before 1900 South African journalism existed under colonial domination since newspapers operated as tools of state enforcement and colonial political expressions. The practice of free journalism was limited while most publications demonstrated support for both colonial officials and white colonists. An independent news outlet started to rise among marginalized communities which began to challenge the established control of media. Alternative perspectives found their place in the newspapers The World and other Black-owned publications which became crucial instruments for political action (Couzens, 1976).
The Black press became a major achievement in pre-1900 South African journalism because it battled colonial storytelling while fighting for African rights. Abantu-Batho along with Umteteli wa Bantu acted as key forces in transmitting political information and organizing Black South African resistance activities (Nkoala, 2022). The media platforms reported injustices alongside creating intellectual spaces that would later support the press during liberation movements.
Post-1900 Developments
The twentieth century delivered multiple transformative changes while presenting severe difficulties to the field of South African journalism. The apartheid government used strict censorship laws to regulate press freedom through heavy limitations which silenced any dissenting voices in the media landscape. Journalists together with publications carried out resistance journalism by revealing human rights abuse while presenting unapproved state ideas despite official censorship regulations. The public fought apartheid politics through the combined efforts of underground and alternative press mediums which delivered honest news about government policies (Conboy, 2004).
South African journalism underwent a substantial change through the success of tabloid newspapers from the late 20th to early 21st centuries. The Daily Sun together with Sunday World used entertainment and sensational news content to attract wide readerships from all sections of society. Tabloid journalism received criticism although it helped both create accessible news for diverse readerships and form public discussions (Wasserman, 2010).
Modern digital technology has transformed the way journalism functions in South Africa by delivering both fresh prospects and demanding situations to the industry. Digital news websites combined with social media activities together with civic journalism open up more ways to access content yet they present problems of unverified information while causing financial struggles for mainstream news organizations. South African media continues to fulfil its vital watchdog function by embracing digital changes that began after the 1900s.
Comparing Pre-1900 and Post-1900 Journalism
Journalistic development across the period starting from before 1900 up to now demonstrates both evolutions and sustaining patterns throughout history. Journalism expanded its ethical boundaries and introduced modern technology characteristics since 1900, whereas the audience become more active, however political forces along with economic priorities have not left marks on the news evolution. Analysing what elements of journalism have remained and what have changed from 1900, the process of gradual development of journalism can be understood.
Similarities
Continued Influence of Political and Economic Interests
In other words, the production of news since the year 1900 is very similar to that of the period before the cut-off of 1900, as the forces of politics alongside those of the economy continue to dominate. Many newspapers were in operation in the pre-twentieth century era. Prior to the twentieth century many newspapers were under governmental control or funded/financed by political factions or rich patrons. During this period, newspapers had political affiliations and fulfilled ideological purposes rather than to provide balanced news reporting. Journalism evolved to aim for objectivity as papers became commercial properties however their power was still influenced heavily by politics as the ownership of media remains very political and government oversight has great sway over freedom of the press.
Economic conditions have become equally powerful forces during these two time periods. The editorial freedom of pre-commercialized journalistic media remained restricted because these newspapers received monetary support from political sponsors combined with private donors. Modern news organizations face two main controlling forces which include advertising revenue together with corporate ownership while these elements often push media organizations to focus commercial content before investigative reporting. Digital media arrival has worsened economic strains on media organizations because their traditional funding methods are fading away while businesses struggle to discover alternative payment models (Maras, 2013).
Persistence of Sensationalism
Since ancient times journalism has employed sensationalism in various expressions both before and after the nineteenth century period. The newspapers from pre-20th-century times often tried to capture audiences through overly dramatic headlines and strong emotional appeals in their publications. Local newspapers engaged in publication of sensational crime events and political incidents and human story pieces to attract more circulation during their competition for readers. Modern tabloids together with online media follow the same sensationalist pattern of delivering drama-laden content (Harcup & O’Neill, 2017).
The online competition for website traffic promotes sensationalist reporting because media organizations attempt to appeal to audiences through dramatic technically sensational material to boost their statistics. The need to increase traffic and revenue through advertising continues to strengthen media outlets toward sensational coverage of news events.
Differences
Shift Toward Objectivity and Ethical Standards
Objectivity represents a key transformation that has developed journalism from pre-1900 to post-1900 times. During the time before the twentieth century journalism lacked professional standards because editors freely mixed their personal views with factual information. During that period news articles followed editorial perspectives of their publishers while there were no defined ethical standards for reporters.
The professional journalism that emerged in the 20th century established standards that included correctness along with impartial reporting and equal weight to sources. Schools, and press councils and media groups that penned codes for fortifying factual reporting and impeding partisan reporting, offered guidance to the profession. While some scholars dispute the existence of absolute objectivity as an idea, professional ethics have given rise to organized and accountable standards of journalism that battle and improve upon the previous wastes of partisan journalism.
Advancements in Technology and Faster News Dissemination
Technological progress between pre-1900 news and modern journalism produced dissimilar approaches because it transformed the news distribution infrastructure. News distribution methods were restricted to printing technology along with postal services and transportation methods before the start of the twentieth century. Reading the newspaper in the pre-1900s required news to spread through localized areas and take several days to weeks before reaching its audience.
Radio and television and internet tools achieved instant news delivery which became faster than standard postal or printing distribution systems. Continuous digital broadcasting of news on 24-hour channels speeds up news development and distribution processes. News journalists can now distribute their reports in real-time while social media platforms support both professional and citizen-based reporting practices between news personnel and their readers. The improved access to news material triggered problems regarding deceitful information and suspicious content distributed through unidentified sources.
Increased Audience Engagement and Interactivity
Audience involvement with journalism underwent substantial transformation during the first half of the twentieth century. Readers in the time before the twentieth century obtained news from newspapers while journalists and editorial decision-making remained inaccessible to them. Readers had limited chances to express their viewpoints by sending letters to editors because the editorial staff decided how much of these views the public would see. The public now takes an active role in shaping journalism throughout the evolution of radio and television and digital media within the market.
Users make news-related comments through social media platforms that they can distribute to followers while simultaneously producing immediate content directly through these platforms. Cell phone users active in citizen journalism create news media disruptions in traditional news organizations through their specialized unique reporting content. Media access through citizen journalism has improved news gathering processes but its worldwide spread created ethical issues about news reporting credibility.
Conclusion
Journalism underwent large-scale changes from its previous time of issuing sluggish partisan content to its current state as an impartial occupation that follows standard ethical principles through technological advancement. The news business achieves continuous enhancement by running faster communications alongside active audience involvement while handling both economic and political restrictions.
News journalism in South Africa brought about both colonial subjugation and local opposition during the colonial period. Digital media platforms bring opportunities and challenges to news production because they enable false information dissemination and new business prospects. Journalists must maintain their professionalism along with ethical conduct to provide public service through democratic processes during the journalism industry transition.
