Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information. It serves as the fourth estate, essential for democracy. There are diverse forms of journalism including print journalism, broadcast journalism, investigative journalism, online journalism, and multimedia journalism. Journalism matters because it informs the public, acts as a watchdog, and provides a platform for public discourse. Modern challenges in journalism include misinformation and "fake news," press freedom issues, and financial struggles of traditional media.