Journalistic autonomy as a criterion of professionalism and indicator of media development

Autonomy is a crucial element of journalistic professionalism. The paper explains the institutional understanding of professional autonomy connected, on the one hand, with the independence of a journalist from the state authorities and, on the other hand, with the freedom of journalists from the market-oriented activities for the sake of commercial profit. Today Russian journalism is not considered a liberal profession and creative activity, but rather a business or kind of propaganda. In our country the division into creative (conventionally liberal occupations) and other professions is reviewed periodically. Daniel Hallin and Paolo Mancini noticed first that journalistic autonomy is the kind of autonomy that politicians are now seeking to limit and to control (especially in times of war and in the years of crisis). The degree of autonomy is the clearest difference between journalism and propaganda. While claiming to create a ''philosophy of journalistic autonomy'', John Merrill examines the role of the media in national development in terms of availability of conflict in a society. In some situations, the press works to maintain social stability, in others - to modernize the state and the change of elites. Then the media gradually cease to be a means of harmonizing society and transform into force to support the deployment of a political conflict, and thus increasing their autonomy. Professional autonomy for journalists is hard to define. It is a question of relationships between the profession as a group in a society (external autonomy); it is also autonomy for journalists in their routine work in relation to the editorial staff and media organization (internal autonomy). Internal autonomy can also be a point of financial pressure from owners and commercial departments in media companies. Journalism as a profession is becoming more diverse and has unclear borders, journalistic autonomy is under pressure in many ways. This can be labeled de-professionalization, but be regarded as a change in the profession, an attempt to become more adapted to the new information society environment. Basic questions concern the borders of journalistic work in interaction with other groups inside and outside a media company. Autonomy is seen as a necessary condition for the development of journalistic talent and media sphere as a whole.

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