We hear the words journalist and journalism,and yet few actually understand there's more to it than simply being on a "news" program or writing for a "news" pub

We hear the words journalist and journalism,and yet few actually understand there's more to it than simply being on a "news" program or writing for a "news" publisher. Why and how has the bar for even basic standards of journalism been lowered so low? And finally, what can be done about it when a significant percentage of self-proclaimed journalist don't know and/or practice the standards themselves?