Contemporary journalism: Profession or a “bullshit job”

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to rethink the position of the journalistic profession in the contemporary social contexts of the 21st century, within the context of social changes determined by capitalism in its radical stage, and the permanent transformations of digital technologies as the main tool for production and consumption. The central question that arises is whether we can still think of journalism as a profession in accordance with the principles formed in the midtwentieth century, or whether the journalistic profession is ?dead?, transformed into a ?bullshit job?? If we look at the three main indicators of professional journalism: public interest and the watchdog function; autonomy; and the adherence to specific professional norms; it seems, by looking at actual journalistic practices, that all three indicators that fundamentally legitimize journalism as a profession has eroded significantly. The main claim is that journalism, to a large extent, has turned into a ?bullshit job?, even if the ?old? normative principles of the profession still serves to legitimize it, but with no stronghold in real journalist practices. Of course, this does not mean that professional journalism, defined according to the principles established in mid-twentieth century, is not still relevant, even crucial for the public and public interest. This is why, in the conclusion of the paper, we plead for the strengthening of those media organizations that nurture the protection of the public interest as well as investigative and critically oriented, independent journalism.