Defining the Roles, Functions, and

Competencies of Communicators
and Journalists
The foremost important role of
communicators and journalists is to
provide information and evidence
to inform the public about issues
that matter to them in the most
neutral way possible.
They provide facts for the public to
form judgment and decisions. In
some cases, they facilitate accurate
processing and analysis of such
facts in a professional and ethical
way.
In this way, their functions
follow naturally-to collect and
document information, facts and
opinions, and present them for
public analysis and delve to the
root of reality.
To communicate is to deliver truth and facts.
Professional communicators and journalists
are at the service of truth. They gather news,
facts, and information that are critical to
public life and well-being. The functions
include being present where the news is
happening and having the ability to record
what is happening accurately with available
technology.
The competencies of communicators and
journalists are along their delivery of roles and
functions. They need to have listening, reading,
writing, and speaking skills. Listening and reading
are data- and information-gathering skills
necessary for accurate writing and speaking. But
writing and speaking skills are necessary for
communication as tools. Poor writing and
speaking skills can distort the message regardless
of the good intentions of the communicator.
Areas of
Specialization of
Communicators and
Journalist
Communicators and journalists can work in
several areas of specialization: speech writing
and taking minutes of a meeting; advertising,
marketing, and sales; communication
education; electronic media, radio- television,
and broadcasting; public relations; journalism;
theater, performing arts and dramatic arts;
public communication and opinion
management; and international relations
management and negotiations .
The specialization can be in copy writing,
production directing, professional blogging,
communication education, language arts
coordination, forensic and debate coaching,
drama directing, film and tape archiving,
news editing, news directing, news writing,
news anchoring, transmitter engineering, and
technical directing.
As journalists, they can also
specialize in field reporting, news
editing, news casting, authorship,
copywriting, script writing,
publishing, news service research,
technical writing, acquisition
editing, and interviewing.
Career Opportunities for
Communicators and
Journalists
The field of communication is wide and almost
every aspect of business and human organization
has communication specialists or roles.
Companies have to relate with customers, clients,
and other stakeholders. The same is e for
government and public individuals because the
need to be heard to be understood, to be followed,
and to convince others require communication
Professionals pursuing careers in communication
have many options. Alberts, Nakayama, and
Martin (2007) presented some as follows: speech
writer, press secretary, public information officer,
public affairs specialist, communication
assistant, meetings secretary, customer service
representative, marketing assistant or officer,
advertising, sales assistant and account
executive, research associate, and operations
manager.
Broadly, other in advertising,
communication education; electronic
media, radio-television, and
opportunities include careers
broadcasting: public relations;
journalism; theater, performing arts, and
dramatic arts; communication in
government and politics; and
international relations and negotiations.
Advertising and marketing specialists
can work as a copy writer, account
executive, sales manager, media planner,
media buyer, creative director, media
sales representatives, and can also
function as public opinion researchers
and pollsters (such as in Social Weather
Station and Pulse Asia).
They can find their niche in
professional blogging for fashion
and lifestyle, products and services
marketing, and communication.
Some bloggers focus on paid work
or freelancing news and current
affairs reporting.
Communication educators can work as
college or university professors and may
also serve as speech communication
department chairpersons, language arts
coordinators, elementary and high
school speech teachers, forensic and
debate coaches, or drama directors.
Broadcasting careers can include
opportunities to work as a broadcasting
station manager, director of broadcasting,
film and tape librarian, community
relations director, unit manager, film
editor, news editor, news director, news
writer, news anchor, transmitter engineer,
and technical director.
Other opportunities include work as an
advertising sales coordinator, traffic and
continuity specialist, market researcher,
actor/actress, disc jockey, public
relations manager, comedy writer,
casting director, floor manager, talk
show host, account executive, media
buyer, and many more.
In journalism, one can work as a
reporter, editor, newscaster,
author, copy writer, script writer,
publisher, news service
researcher, technical writer,
acquisition editor, and
interviewer.
In public relations, one can work as a
publicity manager, advertising manager,
marketing specialist, press agent, lobbyist,
corporate public affairs specialist, account
executives, development officer, fund-raiser,
membership recruiter, sales manager, media
analyst, media planner, creative director,
audience analyst, news writer, and public
opinion researcher.
In theater and performing arts, graduates
can work as a performing artist,
scriptwriter, producer, director, arts
administrator, performing arts educator,
costume designer, theater critic, makeup
artist, stage manager, art and prop
curator, stage manager, model, theater
professor, and casting director.
In government and politics-related
communication, communication
graduates can work as a public
information officer, speech writer,
legislative assistant, campaign director,
research specialist, program coordinator,
negotiator lobbyist, press secretary, and
elected officer.
In international relations and
negotiations, communication graduates
can serve as an on-air international
broadcasting talent, corporations'
representative translator, student tour
coordinator, diplomat, foreign relations
officer, host hostess for foreign
dignitaries, and foreign correspondent.
Rights,
Responsibilities, and
Accountabilities of
Communicators and
Journalists
In modern times, the media have exerted
enormous power and assumed a powerful
position unprecedented in human history to
serve as valuable means for the articulation
on a large scale of popular aspirations and
problems as entertainment and pleasure,
advertising and economic information,
shared strengths as well as weaknesses.
In this sense, the rights, responsibilities, and
accountabilities must be established to
safeguard the integrity public in the form of
accountability of media and protection of the
general public in the form of accountability.
In the name of freedom of expression,
abuses happen, and certain aspects remain
largely unaccountable. Accountability is a
necessity for communicators and journalists
It is also part of the responsibility of
communicators and journalists to
ensure that citizens are able to
originate content and contribute to
media content, and not just remain
passive consumers of media output.
There are respective codes of
conduct and official laws and
rules that regulate these
media. However, these
parameters do not always
work for the citizens.
Communicators and journalists have rights,
responsibilities, and accountabilities to
exercise and live by and which must provide
guarantees against censorship and protection
of freedom of expression, safeguarding the
confidentiality of journalistic sources, and
ensuring that information held by the
government can be timely and easily accessed
by the public.
There are also general media laws
and regulatory frameworks at both
national and international level to
comply with. There are regulatory
bodies featuring existing press
councils and relevant professional
networks, and different types of
media ombudsmen.
It is the responsibility of
communicators and journalists
to ensure that citizens have
convenient access to all media
which is subject to just and fair
law and universally recognized
principles of human rights .
In 2005, the Global Campaign for Free Expression by the
International deration of Journalists recognized that
developing self-regulatory mechanisms ross the
communication and journalism sector can help ensure a
more comprehensive approach to developing and
upholding media ethics. It can help liver genuine
accountability to the public and protect the principle and
practice freedom of expression. But this is not easy; it is
complex and challenging. Codes of ethics provide a way
forward in the guaranteeing rights, responsibilities, and
accountabilities.
Communicators and journalists have codes of
ethics and professional standards based on self-
regulation. The general rule is respect for
truthfulness and respect for people's rights. The
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) considers the
code of ethics as being at the heart of good
communication and journalism for it fosters
professional self-censorship among
professionals in the industry.
The UNESCO argues that codes of ethics, under
their different denominations, are an essential
instrument of media self-regulation. They are a
fundamental point of reference, guiding journalists
on their role, rights and accountabilities, and job
performance-all while representing a standard
against which their work can be assessed. With the
code of ethics, journalists are served; publishers
and owners of media outlets are protected against
legal claims and critics.
The code of ethics contributes to the
accuracy, fairness, and reliability of
information, therefore also benefiting
the general public as consumers of
information which form part of the
basis of individual, family,
community, corporate, and national
decisions (Unesco.org).