Should journalists be political activists?

This is actually quite a complex question. The short answer would be, I suppose, "yes and no".

Freedom of the press is one of the most fundamental core rights in any free constitutional democratic country and society, and for a good reason.

The press (which in the context means all the news media, which traditionally consisted of newspapers but later expanded to radio, television and now obviously the internet) is an extraordinarily powerful entity in any country or society. The mainstream press essentially controls the flow of information over the country and beyond. Citizens have little resources to get information and news from elsewhere other by either word of mouth (which is extremely inefficient) or the press. Thus the press plays a crucial role in keeping the citizens informed on what is happening.

The press is so crucial in the dissemination of information that controlling and restricting the press is one of the key elements in all totalitarian regimes and dictatorships that have ever existed. And, conversely, a free press is always one of the most fundamental core principles of a free democratic society.

There's a very good reason why freedom of the press is so important and crucial: It keeps those in power in check, be it the government, huge megacorporations, rich people, or anybody who has any sort of power in society. The press has always been the one entity that brings to light any abuse by those in power. The press holds those in power accountable for their actions. The press is essential in trying to stop those in power from engaging in abuse and doing illegal things in secret, hidden from the wider public.

Thus, in this sense, the answer to the question is "yes": Indeed, journalists should be activists. They should investigate, ask difficult questions, go where normal people don't usually go and ask what normal people don't usually ask, and bring to light any misconduct and infringements by those in power, especially and very much including politicians and the government. They should hold those in power accountable for their actions and ensure a fair and legal government that follows the law.

On the other hand, for this journalistic activism to serve its purpose, for it to work properly, it requires a certain set of ethical rules from the journalists. For almost as long as there has been a press there have also been some kind of ethical guidelines for journalism, in one form or another. Such guidelines, even rules, are necessary because of the immense power that the press holds in society.

One of the most fundamental ethical guidelines of journalism is that of unbiased truthful reporting.

This is one of the major problems in the mainstream media nowadays. Almost all journalists have become biased political activists. They have forgotten or ignore that fundamental core principle of journalism. They have stopped being activists who report on events, and become political activism promoting a particular political side and agenda.

This is most certainly not the kind of activism that journalists should engage in.

The mainstream media needs a serious reform. The ethical code of journalism needs to be reinstated. When the press becomes heavily politically biased, it becomes just a propaganda machine, not unlike those used in totalitarian regimes.