Journalism is the collection of relevant news and information that is then distributed in a beneficial way to an audience. Despite Woo’s likening of journalism to a duck (‘if it looks like journalism, it’s journalism’), there should be a certain amount of professionalism in regards to what is considered journalism. It is a bit of a smack in the face for professional journalists if anybody who posts content to YouTube or a blogging site can be considered a journalist.

Journalists have a responsibility to the public to release news that is impartial and objective. The media’s role as the fourth estate is to ensure those in power are held in complete accountability and to promote a public interest in the news they publish.

Journalists should be dedicated to free speech, yet some argue that their interest in this has been overtaken by the motivation of profit. The business of journalism – the focus on money and the search for a certain look or image for the media distributor – can impact on the original ideals of journalism. The influence of media ownership nowadays – when a papers image or message is of prime importance where print outlets are lacking – can raise questions of freedom of expression, censorship and the independence of a media outlet.

The competitive nature of media outlets, brought about by the focus on the business side of journalism, has taken the focus away from the prior journalist ideals and has diminished the role of the media as the Fourth Estate.