Across the last decade, journalism has undergone many changes, which have driven scholars to reassess its most fundamental questions, and in the face of digital change, to ask again: ‘Who is a journalist?’ and ‘What is journalism?’. This companion explores a developing scholarly agenda committed to understanding digital journalism and brings together the work of key scholars seeking to address key theoretical concerns and solve unique methodological riddles.
Compiled of 58 original essays from distinguished academics across the globe, this Companion draws together the work of those making sense of this fundamental reconceptualization of journalism, and assesses its impacts on journalism’s products, its practices, resources, and its relationship with audiences. It also outlines the challenge presented by studying digital journalism and, more importantly, offers a first set of answers.
This collection is the very first of its kind to attempt to distinguish this emerging field as a unique area of academic inquiry. Through identifying its core questions and presenting its fundamental debates, this Companion sets the agenda for years to come in defining this new field of study as Digital Journalism Studies, making it an essential point of reference for students and scholars of journalism.
Bob Franklin is Professor of Journalism Studies at the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. He is the founding editor of the journals Digital Journalism, Journalism Practice and Journalism Studies. His most recent book is The Future of Journalism: In an Age of Digital Media and Economic Uncertainty (2015).
Scott A. Eldridge II is an Assistant Professor of Journalism Studies and Media at the University of Groningen, Netherlands. His research and publications focus on changing concepts of journalism and the challenges to journalism’s identity presented by emerging digital actors. He is Reviews Editor for the journal Digital Journalism and is on the editorial boards of Digital Journalism and the Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies.