9 Types of Journalism: Soft News vs. Hard News Explained

Journalism refers to the activity of collecting, compiling, and delivering fact-based news and other related information to the general public in an unbiased manner. The term “journalism” also describes the occupation—more commonly known as a journalist. This occupation is responsible for gathering news from various sources (like media, tipsters, inside sources, and eyewitnesses) then presenting it to the public through a media outlet, either in print, online, on television, or radio. There are many different journalistic fields, including investigative reporting, photojournalism, sports coverage, entertainment reporting, and watchdog journalism.

From online journalism to print media, journalism is divided into two different categories:

• Hard news includes politics and business. Hard news journalism refers to breaking news and up-to-the-minute news about serious, timely, or hard-hitting topics that are timely and urgent, usually based on facts and rigorous research. Political journalism, business journalism, and watchdog journalism are forms of hard news.
• Soft news primarily focuses on entertainment. Soft news journalism focuses on lifestyle and entertainment and typically revolves around culture, art, and human interest events. Soft news includes sports journalism, entertainment journalism, and celebrity coverage.
  

Here are the most common journalism career paths:

1. 1. Broadcast journalism: Broadcast journalism is an umbrella term that refers to any reporting that is broadcast on television, radio, or the internet. Common types of broadcast journalism include day-to-day breaking news stories, entertainment, investigative, opinion, and sports journalism.
2. 2. Business journalism: Business journalism aims to keep readers and viewers up-to-date on the trends and changes in the business world. It can cover many different topics, including stock trading, economic policy, business mergers, and technological advances.
3. 3. Entertainment journalism: Entertainment journalism covers various topics, including celebrities, film, music, festivals, and awards ceremonies. This form of journalism also includes profiling celebrities, actors, and musicians.
4. 4. Investigative journalism: Investigative reporters’ goal is to shine a light on a particular topic or injustice. The biggest investigative stories stir public debate, inform politics, and shape history—like investigative journalist Bob Woodward’s reporting on the Watergate scandal.
5. 5. Opinion journalism: Opinion journalism is a field that showcases the writer’s opinion rather than solely reporting new data or events. Most opinion journalism pieces center on a particular subject, which the journalist discusses either briefly or at length before providing their opinion on the matter. Advice columns, op-eds, reviews, and letters from the editor all fall under the umbrella of opinion journalism.
6. 6. Photojournalism: Rather than using words to tell a story, photojournalism is the art of taking pictures to tell news stories—whether it’s a shot of a burning building, a melting glacier, or a group of people in a warzone. Photojournalism shoots can either be candid, heat-of-the-moment reporting, or can occur under calmer circumstances, where the journalist documents action like daily life or environmental changes.
7. 7. Political journalism: Political journalism keeps the readership informed of the political happenings in a particular area—whether local government, national government, or international policy.
8. 8. Sports journalism: Sports journalism covers sports-related topics, including coverage of games and discussion of players and strategy, and profiles that spotlight specific players, coaches, or teams.
9. 9. Watchdog journalism: Watchdog journalism aims to protect society from illegal activities or corruption, especially within their governments or economic structures. Watchdog journalists monitor the actions of particular organizations—from governments to political campaigns to large corporations—to ensure that illegal activities are not occurring. If they discover corruption, watchdog journalists will report the findings immediately to hold the organization responsible.

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