The words “news” and “journalism” are often used interchangeably. But they aren’t the same. 

Your value proposition to readers is heavily dependent upon providing journalism, not just news. But if asked to define the difference, could you articulate it? 

We delved into this subject during last month’s INMA CEO Roundtable in Vail, where 50 media executives from across the world met to talk about everything from AI to user needs to the definition of journalism. 

I asked the group of C-suite executives to pen a definition of journalism and collected their responses at the end. Read on to see what they said.

The Next Gen News report published earlier this year identified numerous gaps between what we think readers want and what they actually want. 

We think consumers want constant streams of updated news, but they want context, solutions, and to understand how news impacts their lives. 

That is the crux of how journalism differs from news. 

One Vail participant explained it this way:

• News is the car accident.

• Journalism is how the car accident will change your commute. It’s about how many accidents have happened at that intersection, prompting a change to the layout of the intersection. 

Too often, we simply stop at the car accident. We say what happened, but not why. We provide facts and details, but not how they impact people’s lives.

A few other definitions of journalism vs. news from the executives at the roundtable:

• News: information, happenings, updates. Journalism: context, perspective, expertise. 

• Journalism is keeping readers engaged and coming back for more. News is just a way to deliver output. Journalism today needs a voice and a purpose. 

• Journalism is the process of reviewing information to determine what is true, putting information in context without bias. News is raw information on what happened.

• News is a description of what is happening. Journalism is storytelling that people can relate to. It is balanced and fact-based.

So how much news do you produce on a daily basis and how much journalism do you produce?

This is a key question in our fragmented media ecosystem. There are so many places to find news and information, from traditional sources to social media to GenAI tools. Our differentiator is journalism. 

How might we better focus on journalism instead of news?

• Audit a week’s worth of content to get an understanding of how much is currently news and how much is journalism. There’s no magic balance — you’re bound to publish some things that are simply news and information — but you want to ensure the majority of the content you are providing is journalism.

• Pay attention to user needs. News typically falls into the “update me” category, whereas journalism meets other needs — “educate me,” “give me perspective,” etc. Is too much of your content simply “update me?”

• Analyse your metrics to better understand what is resonating with your audience. News stories can generate pageviews, but those are often coming from search and don’t lead to repeat visitors. Your journalism is what leads to higher frequency, engaged time, and overall loyalty and stickiness.

• Write your own definition of journalism vs. news for the audience you serve and share it with your newsroom. Talk about what a stronger focus on journalism means and how to get there.

If you’d like to subscribe to my bi-weekly newsletter, INMA members can do so here.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .