Here’s What No One Tells You About Journalists

Journalism is often seen as a noble, simple career choice with impeccable moral connotations. Unfortunately, the harsh reality of what journalists do is not often discussed. This article discusses the dark side of journalism and provides insight into how journalists are paid to write stories that reflect very poorly on those in power and argue for unpopular causes in a biased way. Btw21 news is a new site that will bring you straight news because we do not have any ulterior motives. 

Journalists typically agree to act a certain way because they want access to information or to the people involved with it, but there are many drawbacks that can come with this agreement. If you’re considering journalism as your career path, be prepared for what might come at the cost of just wanting to help others out.

Here’s What No One Tells You About Journalists :

1. Journalists write stories to make money.

Most journalism schools teach students the ideals of providing a voice for the voiceless, promoting transparency of government and standing up for what’s right. In reality, journalism is just a way to get rich and name recognition. For example, consider the recent cases of Jayson Blair’s plagiarism , NBC Universal’s firing of Dan Rather, Terry Moran after being caught sexually harassing a colleague, or Wayne Barrett’s attacks on the NY Times . Most journalists today are just trying to make money by writing articles that are never read by anyone who isn’t already interested in the information or causes.

2. The news is written to make money, not to inform.

News, including information presented in features writing, is frequently written and published in the most sensational way possible. Sensationalism is defined as “exaggeration intended to provoke public interest or excitement.” This writing style can be found everywhere; from the big papers like the New York Times and Washington Post to smaller papers in nearly every state. Typically, this type of writing will have a misleading headline with an inflammatory quote coming from someone whose name you don’t recognize (who happens to be quoted out of context). 

3. Journalists are not paid fairly because of their lack of popularity.

According to a recent survey, journalists are the least liked, least trusted people in America. Based on that statistic, it’s no surprise that they get paid less than other professionals (with the same education and skills) – even those with much lower skill levels. When you look at the earnings of journalists compared to average citizens with the same levels of education, there is a clear disparity. 

4. Journalists are paid to write stories that are not favorable to those in power.

Journalists are paid to write stories that do not reflect well on those in power. This means they will often take hard stances on issues they don’t believe in, strive for an unbiased viewpoint, and ask questions before accepting a story idea (see: Jayson Blair’s fabricated quotes of war crimes ). Journalists feel pressure to make money and get attention, but at what cost? This pressure can lead to stories being written without much or any evidence, or reports that have been published many times over before.

5. Journalists are rarely fired for their mistakes.

Contrary to popular belief, most journalists work under very little supervision, which makes them very self-motivated individuals whose only goal is to produce original and interesting stories. However, with this freedom comes the right to make mistakes. If a story isn’t well researched or doesn’t get the number of clicks the editor was looking for, it can easily be changed or removed with little to no repercussions from editors or management (i.e., see: Sensationalism ).

6. Journalists are paid to publish stories that get a lot of clicks.

The average journalist can be paid between $20 and $75 per article, depending on the number of views and clicks their story gets. This means that the journalist is often motivated to write stories based on what they believe will be popular, not based on the truth or evidence. In order to increase their likelihood of getting more views, journalists will often sensationalized headlines or embellish quotes (see: Sensationalism ) because they know it’s something readers click on and thus make more money.

7. Journalists are not unbiased, but they pretend to be anyway.

Journalists are human beings who have an opinion about almost everything . Even the most objective and unbiased journalist will have at least some bias. However, does that mean that they are biased more than average? No. Most people’s bias is not as severe, but it can still be seen. In rare cases (i.e., Jayson Blair ), this bias becomes very apparent with the facts in front of them; journalists have a habit of reading into quotes and turning them into something completely different than what was originally intended .