Journalistic translation

Journalistic translation is the label for translation in news organizations – print and digital newspapers, magazines, audiovisual media, press syndicates, news agencies and other communication companies. Journalistic practices influence both the ways in the translation process and how journalistic messages are redrafted for specific audiences. Purely linguistic tasks are always secondary to providing information. 

The journalists’ work consists of generating news, which may involve translation, understood in different ways. These do not always coincide with the traditional concept of translation since their aim may not be to reproduce an original text but rather to use it in order to create information for a specific medium with a given function. In journalistic production, translation is one of the skills needed for the production of new content. It is not considered a separate task from journalism but rather an integral part of it. The term journalistic translation may encompass various types of translation, and translation may be used flexibly according to the functional needs of each medium.

Journalistic translation is also part of a juncture of political and economic interests. The communications industry controls the flow of international information -not only for economic reasons but also for ideological purposes- and journalistic production (news and opinion) have become a strategic and global product, sold and distributed in a trading system controlled by large corporations. Translation can help news organizations reach new audiences, and have a significant social impact.