DB# Forum2 CJUS740 Reply 1

Reply must be at least 200-300 words and at least 2 citations from sources such as your textbook, peer-reviewed journal articles, and the Bible. The thread and replies must follow current APA format.

Maxfield, M. G., & Babbie, E. R. (2018). Research methods for criminal justice and criminology (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. ISBN: 9781337091824.

*Brian**

As a professional Journalist, my chief goals would be distinct from those of a social scientist. While it is notable that professional journalists and social scientists are interested in collecting information, their differences in handling it defines their specific roles. As a professional journalist, my chief goals I would be involved in providing information to the members of general public regarding the events that have taken place recently in form of news. I would concentrate on reporting to individuals about aspects such as government activities and politics in a bid to promote democracy and sensitizing citizens (Gans, 2018). Such a goal would be different from that of a social scientist who would be interested in collecting information on various issues in the society, such as employment, analyze it and share it with his/her disciplinary colleagues and students.
Also notable is that my main goal as a professional journalist would be to collect information on events that are taking place at the present time and report it to the general public. In particular, I would be expected to report daily about the events that concern individuals in a society within a certain period (Goulet & Ponet, 2009). Usually, the information would be about present events. This role is unlike that of a social scientist who may choose to collect information of any period. For instance, regarding the interest of a social scientist, he/she may opt to concentrate on an event that is taking place currently, or that happened in the past. He/she may also take a relatively long time like a month before informing other people on his/her findings, unlike a journalist who is supposed to disseminate the collected information immediately.
As a journalist, my crucial goals would relate to emphasizing on individuals who are a part of the events currently taking place are those responsible for the occurrence of the events. For instance, I would interview presidential candidates who are preparing for an election. Notably, the information from the interviews would be important for the people also preparing to vote as it would help them to make the right decisions. Such a goal differs from that of a social scientist who is mainly interested in patterns and structures rather than on individuals. For example, a social scientist may focus on processes and networks in a certain organization. His interest would be to provide insights into the occurrence of the processes or predictable patterns but not necessarily to make individuals make choices or promote morality.
Another main goal that would make my career as a professional journalist distinct from that of a social scientist pertains to my concentration on unusual events. Notably, journalism is usually interested in happenings that are unusual (Gans, 2018). For instance, the information regarding a plane that has crashed is worth reporting to the public, while that of people who have landed safely is not newsworthy. My concentration on such deviant events would make me distinct from a social scientist whose interests are not limited solely to unusual happenings. While he/she may consider reporting on unusual events, they may also consider those that are typical, regular, and normal, which in my case would not interest my audience. Overall, while my purpose as a professional journalist would be to enhance moral practices, a social scientist would not necessary align his/her role towards encouraging acceptable behavior.

References
Gans, H. J. (2018). Sociology and journalism: a comparative analysis. Contemporary Sociology, 47(1), 3-10.  
Goulet, V., & Ponet, P. (2009). Journalists and Sociologists. Reviewing the Battles over Ways of “Giving an Account of Society.” Questions de Communication, (16).