History of Journalism

 Hello! I’m St. Masita Nur Khalifah, a Business English Communication student, batch 2022. Recently, I studied journalism’s fascinating history in my English for Journalism class, especially focusing on the period before 1960.

We explored how journalism started as a government tool to communicate with people, like the bulletins in Ancient Rome. The printing press revolutionized this, allowing news to reach a wider audience. By the 17th century, newspapers emerged, slowly evolving into a public service despite government censorship.

The 19th century saw journalism become a “watchdog,” holding power to account, and by the early 20th century, it was shaping public opinion on significant events.

Learning this history gave me a new appreciation for journalism’s role in democracy and its journey from simple announcements to a powerful public service.