Key Documents: Front Matter - Volume Introduction

The job of every journalist is essentially to become an “instant expert” on the subject he or she plans to report on or write about. This is a far cry from becoming a “true expert” on a subject—someone with all the answers, a mantle of authority, and a thorough mastery of an area. The instant expert aims to pick up just enough to comprehend the roots of a story, perhaps the jargon of an industry, and the core issues in play. Then they use this knowledge to form cogent questions. In the scheme of the Encyclopedia of Journalism , Volume 5—Key Documents—plays the role of instant expert, while Volumes I through IV assume the burden of the true expert. The first four volumes contain the collected wisdom of scholars in myriad articles on every aspect of journalism. This volume more pointedly attempts to identify, and shed light on, specific selected ...

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