Journalist

A journalist is a person who practices journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues and people.

18th-century journalists

• Daniel Defoe - as editor of the Review, he can claim to have invented many of the most popular formats, including the eye-witness report, the travel piece and the strongly opinionated column. Defoe's Review began publication on 19 February 1704 and lasted until 11 June 1713. He was also involved in several other periodicals, including The Master Mercury (1704), Mercator: or, Commerce Retrieved (1713-14), The Monitor (1714), The Manufacturer (1719-21), The Commentator (1720) and The Director (1720-1).
• Richard Steele - founded and edited London-based periodicals including The Guardian and The Spectator in the early 1700s.
• Joseph Addison - wrote many of the finest pieces in Steele's publications