1
00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,280
We experience many things firsthand. We&nbsp;
know what happened because we were there.&nbsp;&nbsp;

2
00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,960
Since it's not possible to see everything for&nbsp;
ourselves we must rely on the reports of others.

3
00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:28,560
At professional news, organizations the job&nbsp;
of creating these reports is done through a&nbsp;&nbsp;

4
00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:34,560
process of journalism. Journalism is&nbsp;
the practice of gathering, assessing,&nbsp;&nbsp;

5
00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:40,960
and presenting news and information for print,&nbsp;
broadcast or the internet. The job of a journalist&nbsp;&nbsp;

6
00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:46,320
is to conduct research, check facts, and present&nbsp;
accurate reports that explain issues and events.&nbsp;&nbsp;

7
00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:53,520
Journalism can cover any topic from sports&nbsp;
to entertainment to health to politics.

8
00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,040
Journalism produced by news organizations&nbsp;
is especially important for democracy.&nbsp;&nbsp;

9
00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,720
As citizens we rely on journalists&nbsp;
to provide the information we need&nbsp;&nbsp;

10
00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:07,840
to make the best possible decisions about our&nbsp;
lives, our communities, and our governments.

11
00:01:08,960 --> 00:01:12,080
There are a number of important&nbsp;
roles that journalism plays.

12
00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,800
Journalism helps inform people&nbsp;
about the events and issues that&nbsp;&nbsp;

13
00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:20,000
are important for society as a whole.&nbsp;
It contributes to collective knowledge&nbsp;&nbsp;

14
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,400
and helps shape opinions about&nbsp;
what is happening in the world.

15
00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,600
Journalism can also present different perspectives&nbsp;
on issues and provide a forum for public debate.

16
00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,800
Journalists act as watchdogs by&nbsp;
holding those with power to account.&nbsp;&nbsp;

17
00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:38,480
They encourage honesty and transparency from&nbsp;
government officials and other authority figures&nbsp;&nbsp;

18
00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,520
by questioning their actions and&nbsp;
decisions and by uncovering the truth.

19
00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:48,560
Finally, journalism can give people who lack power&nbsp;
in society a voice by sharing the stories of those&nbsp;&nbsp;

20
00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:54,320
who face different challenges journalists&nbsp;
can help create empathy among the public.

21
00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:58,080
Journalism is essential for democracy&nbsp;
because it shines a light into places&nbsp;&nbsp;

22
00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:07,840
that may otherwise be dark and helps people&nbsp;
to stay informed about issues that matter.