Is a journalist a marketer?

                 

Let us get right into the heart of this matter. It is the duty of a journalist anywhere in the world to inform, entertain and educate the public. This is a social responsibility.  

So, every minute, a journalist is thinking where to get the next story or news tips. This is after dropping the last copy for publication or broadcasting.

Some readers think journalists are creators from the pit of hell. This is because, to an average journalist, bad news is good news. We are not devils incarnate, but are as patriotic and the next person.

Away from this, on face value, media practitioners and journalists should not make profit making their driving force.

 We must find a way of meeting at the middle point the social media mantra of the journalism profession and business.

But, media houses are set up with money and journalists who work in these media houses must be paid their salaries and other allowances.

So, we must find a way of marrying this social responsibility status of the media profession with the business of earning income.

A marketer on the other hand has profit as his or her driving force while going about selling his or goods and services.

Profit margins, more sales, income, business deals, etc are some of the key words a marketer is considering while on business.

I do not know what you think. But, if you ask me, I will tell you that a journalist is a marketer. It is not limited to the journalism profession alone.

Every person in any profession, vocation, or calling is a marketer, one way or the other. So, journalists, like any other persons for that matter must write stories that sell his or her newspaper, magazine, website or blog.

However, any story or news report that does not add value or benefit to the readers, viewers or listeners one way or the other is not worth it. It will not fly, it will not sell and the journalist will therefore not get paid.

All over the world, human interest stories, crime stories and well investigated stories attract readers, viewers and listeners any day.

With technology in place, the world is now a global family and citizen journalism is now the in-thing. Trained and untrained persons, assisted with the latest gadgets could make or mar prominent individuals, politicians, captains of industries and government agencies with their reports.

This is journalism of blackmail, propaganda, and never-see-anything-good. It is bad copy for humanity.

However, some journalists as marketers are bust marketing their talents, skills, experiences, and knowledge and earning income. This is the marketing angle to this whole business of journalism. Think about it.   

Emmanuel Udom is the managing editor of www.vicnuel.blogspot.com He could be reached on: 2348027066807 emails: eeudom@yahoo.com/ eeudom@gmail.com