A person whose job is to collect, write, or present news and information for the public. Journalists may work for newspapers, TV, radio, websites, or other media.
From “journal,” originally a daily newspaper or record, plus the agent noun suffix “-ist,” meaning “one who does.” The term spread as news publications and professional reporting grew in the 18th and 19th centuries. It now covers reporters, editors, correspondents, and other news workers.
A journalist is, literally, a “daily person”—someone whose work is tied to the flow of days and events. Their job sits between raw reality and public understanding, which is why trust and verification matter so much. When journalism works well, it becomes a kind of shared memory for whole communities.
‘Journalist’ is grammatically gender-neutral in English, but the role was long treated as implicitly male, with women often labeled with modifiers like ‘woman journalist’ or confined to certain beats. Hiring, bylines, and leadership positions historically favored men, shaping whose perspectives defined ‘the news.’
Use ‘journalist’ for people of any gender, and avoid unnecessary gender marking (e.g., only saying ‘female journalist’ when gender is specifically relevant to the context).
["reporter","correspondent","editor (when accurate)"]
Women and non-binary journalists have led investigative reporting, conflict coverage, and editorial innovation, yet are still underrepresented in some beats and leadership roles.
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