ABSTRACT
The concept of “public service journalism” or “civic journalism” began in the early 1990s when local newspapers and television stations began going beyond reporting the news and took leadership roles in community improvement projects. Many issues related to media content have their origins in academic studies on impact of mass media on society, the formation of government regulatory agencies, and the ethical codes of major professional organizations. The major professional organizations serving the broadcasting industry are the Radio Television Digital News Association and the Public Media Journalists Association. While the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics deals mainly with issues of policy—mostly the methods by which the reporters gather information—it also addresses a number of issues related to content. One example involves hospitals, which sponsor and provide content for newspaper features and television segments about health topics while indirectly promoting their services. One of fastest-growing trends on Internet is that of citizen journalism, open-source journalism, or user-generated content.
