1,888 research outputs found
The Digital Journalist: The journalistic field, boundaries, and disquieting change
Get PDFThis chapter looks at WikiLeaks and other ‘Interloper Media’ (Eldridge 2013, 2014) to explore the boundaries and identity dimensions of ‘being’ a digital journalist. Media technologies have long been connected with a disruption of journalism’s norms, and this disruption has been pronounced with digital technologies (Eldridge 2015). As much as technological shifts have allowed the form and function of journalistic products to change and develop, the way new actors are embracing these digital technologies have exposed a particular disruption around understandings of what a journalist is and how that too might be changing. In this disruption, the boundaries of journalistic identity have been irritated by outspoken claims of belonging from new actors such as Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. Going beyond WikiLeaks, questions of journalism’s normative ideals, the domain of the ‘Fourth Estate’, and journalism’s role as a legitimating authority continue to be the focus of discursive reactions to a range of new media actors and their journalistic claims. As platforms, content, and media spaces where journalism occurs change at a rapid pace, questions of what it means to be a journalist are ever present. This chapter reflects on these debates to discuss whether a more expansive and flexible definition of a digital journalist can be developed. In identifying key elements of journalistic identity, this chapter will draw on the literature of ‘boundaries’ around that identity, steep these within a discussion of journalism’s self-defined profession and maintenance of its identity, and posit a definition of the digital journalist fit for modern media realities.<br/
The Digital Journalist:the journalistic field, boundaries, and disquieting change
No full textThis chapter looks at WikiLeaks and other ‘Interloper Media’ (Eldridge 2013, 2014) to explore the boundaries and identity dimensions of ‘being’ a digital journalist. Media technologies have long been connected with a disruption of journalism’s norms, and this disruption has been pronounced with digital technologies (Eldridge 2015). As much as technological shifts have allowed the form and function of journalistic products to change and develop, the way new actors are embracing these digital technologies have exposed a particular disruption around understandings of what a journalist is and how that too might be changing. In this disruption, the boundaries of journalistic identity have been irritated by outspoken claims of belonging from new actors such as Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. Going beyond WikiLeaks, questions of journalism’s normative ideals, the domain of the ‘Fourth Estate’, and journalism’s role as a legitimating authority continue to be the focus of discursive reactions to a range of new media actors and their journalistic claims. As platforms, content, and media spaces where journalism occurs change at a rapid pace, questions of what it means to be a journalist are ever present. This chapter reflects on these debates to discuss whether a more expansive and flexible definition of a digital journalist can be developed. In identifying key elements of journalistic identity, this chapter will draw on the literature of ‘boundaries’ around that identity, steep these within a discussion of journalism’s self-defined profession and maintenance of its identity, and posit a definition of the digital journalist fit for modern media realities.<br/
Introduction: Journalism coming into being:The timbers and planks of a changing institution
Get PDFWhat are we referring to when we say ‘journalism’? In this introductory chapter, I will explore various threads that allow us to think about journalism as something that is ontogenetic, or constantly coming into itself, constantly becoming. Using the classic thought experiment of ‘the ship of Theseus’, this chapter explores institutional approaches to understanding journalism. It juxtaposes discussions of journalism as something stable, with recognition of the many changes the field has undergone. It offers a conceptual roadmap interweaving institutional discussions with those from field theory to present an argument for adjoining legacy and novelty when thinking about journalism nowadays. In doing so, it highlights the aims of this book, which is to consider how new institutions that are now endemic to journalism can be thought of as part of journalism’s constant, ongoing, process of becoming
Digital impacts on the tabloid sphere:Blurring and diffusion of a popular form and its power
No full textThis chapter asks ‘what to make of tabloids in a digital age?’ With the emergence of blogs and websites which traffic in content about public figures, we have witnessed how digital media have embraced the tabloid legacy by taking up the narratives of sex, crime, and scandal which once distinguished tabloids from their peers. On the surface, such sites reflect the familiar mix of ‘soft’ news and more prurient content which tabloids made familiar. Scratch a layer deeper, though, and we see this is not just a borrowing of a subject matter, but a more complex diffusion of the cultural form of tabloids and their cultural significance. This chapter examines these shifts with case studies of websites in the US, UK, and Netherlands, which lay claim to “the century-old tabloid cynicism about human nature, reinforced by instant data about what people actually wanted to read” (Denton, 2016). It argues such sites reflect, “the latest permutation of the language of the people in periodical form” (Conboy, 2006, p. 1), a characteristic once ascribed to tabloids. Taking the confluence of tabloid cultures and digital media opportunities as a blurring of the line which once surrounded tabloids as a distinct form, it argues this may also reflect a diffusion of tabloids’ specific media power in a digital age
Introduction: Journalism coming into being:The timbers and planks of a changing institution
Get PDFWhat are we referring to when we say ‘journalism’? In this introductory chapter, I will explore various threads that allow us to think about journalism as something that is ontogenetic, or constantly coming into itself, constantly becoming. Using the classic thought experiment of ‘the ship of Theseus’, this chapter explores institutional approaches to understanding journalism. It juxtaposes discussions of journalism as something stable, with recognition of the many changes the field has undergone. It offers a conceptual roadmap interweaving institutional discussions with those from field theory to present an argument for adjoining legacy and novelty when thinking about journalism nowadays. In doing so, it highlights the aims of this book, which is to consider how new institutions that are now endemic to journalism can be thought of as part of journalism’s constant, ongoing, process of becoming
Digital impacts on the tabloid sphere:Blurring and diffusion of a popular form and its power
No full textThis chapter asks ‘what to make of tabloids in a digital age?’ With the emergence of blogs and websites which traffic in content about public figures, we have witnessed how digital media have embraced the tabloid legacy by taking up the narratives of sex, crime, and scandal which once distinguished tabloids from their peers. On the surface, such sites reflect the familiar mix of ‘soft’ news and more prurient content which tabloids made familiar. Scratch a layer deeper, though, and we see this is not just a borrowing of a subject matter, but a more complex diffusion of the cultural form of tabloids and their cultural significance. This chapter examines these shifts with case studies of websites in the US, UK, and Netherlands, which lay claim to “the century-old tabloid cynicism about human nature, reinforced by instant data about what people actually wanted to read” (Denton, 2016). It argues such sites reflect, “the latest permutation of the language of the people in periodical form” (Conboy, 2006, p. 1), a characteristic once ascribed to tabloids. Taking the confluence of tabloid cultures and digital media opportunities as a blurring of the line which once surrounded tabloids as a distinct form, it argues this may also reflect a diffusion of tabloids’ specific media power in a digital age
Digital impacts on the tabloid sphere:Blurring and diffusion of a popular form and its power
No full textThis chapter asks ‘what to make of tabloids in a digital age?’ With the emergence of blogs and websites which traffic in content about public figures, we have witnessed how digital media have embraced the tabloid legacy by taking up the narratives of sex, crime, and scandal which once distinguished tabloids from their peers. On the surface, such sites reflect the familiar mix of ‘soft’ news and more prurient content which tabloids made familiar. Scratch a layer deeper, though, and we see this is not just a borrowing of a subject matter, but a more complex diffusion of the cultural form of tabloids and their cultural significance. This chapter examines these shifts with case studies of websites in the US, UK, and Netherlands, which lay claim to “the century-old tabloid cynicism about human nature, reinforced by instant data about what people actually wanted to read” (Denton, 2016). It argues such sites reflect, “the latest permutation of the language of the people in periodical form” (Conboy, 2006, p. 1), a characteristic once ascribed to tabloids. Taking the confluence of tabloid cultures and digital media opportunities as a blurring of the line which once surrounded tabloids as a distinct form, it argues this may also reflect a diffusion of tabloids’ specific media power in a digital age
Digital Journalism (Studies):Defining the Field
Get PDFThis book brings together a collection of articles published in a Digital Journalism special issue in 2019 titled “Digital Journalism (Studies) - Defining the Field”, edited by the four of us in our capacity as the Digital Journalism Editorial Team. We had three ambitions with this special issue (c.f. Eldridge, Hess, Tandoc, & Westlund, 2019)First, to offer a review of research that has been published in this journal since its launch in 2013 to examine the current state of play. We commissioned a review article by a team of scholars with expertise with such reviews (Steensen, Larsen, Hågvar & Fonn, 2019). Second, we wanted to launch a new article format for the journal – the invited conceptual article (Westlund, 2018), and commissioned five articles to conceptualize ‘digital journalism’ from different research foci (Burgess & Hurcombe, 2019; Duffy & Peng Hwa, 2019; Robinson, Carlson & Lewis, 2019; Zelizer, 2019; Waisbord, 2019). Third, building on these articles, we authored an analysis of the breadth of discussions which have shaped the field of Digital Journalism Studies, outlined our vision of this field, and established the editorial agenda of Digital Journalism going forward guided by the Digital Journalism Studies Compass we introduced. In line with our vision for the journal and the rigorous work being developed in the field, all articles in this special issue were rigorously peer-reviewed by experts in the field. This book republishes the articles from the special issue in the original order and shape
Digital Journalism (Studies):Defining the Field
Get PDFThis book brings together a collection of articles published in a Digital Journalism special issue in 2019 titled “Digital Journalism (Studies) - Defining the Field”, edited by the four of us in our capacity as the Digital Journalism Editorial Team. We had three ambitions with this special issue (c.f. Eldridge, Hess, Tandoc, & Westlund, 2019)First, to offer a review of research that has been published in this journal since its launch in 2013 to examine the current state of play. We commissioned a review article by a team of scholars with expertise with such reviews (Steensen, Larsen, Hågvar & Fonn, 2019). Second, we wanted to launch a new article format for the journal – the invited conceptual article (Westlund, 2018), and commissioned five articles to conceptualize ‘digital journalism’ from different research foci (Burgess & Hurcombe, 2019; Duffy & Peng Hwa, 2019; Robinson, Carlson & Lewis, 2019; Zelizer, 2019; Waisbord, 2019). Third, building on these articles, we authored an analysis of the breadth of discussions which have shaped the field of Digital Journalism Studies, outlined our vision of this field, and established the editorial agenda of Digital Journalism going forward guided by the Digital Journalism Studies Compass we introduced. In line with our vision for the journal and the rigorous work being developed in the field, all articles in this special issue were rigorously peer-reviewed by experts in the field. This book republishes the articles from the special issue in the original order and shape
Digital Journalism (Studies):Defining the Field
No full textThis book brings together a collection of articles published in a Digital Journalism special issue in 2019 titled “Digital Journalism (Studies) - Defining the Field”, edited by the four of us in our capacity as the Digital Journalism Editorial Team. We had three ambitions with this special issue (c.f. Eldridge, Hess, Tandoc, & Westlund, 2019)First, to offer a review of research that has been published in this journal since its launch in 2013 to examine the current state of play. We commissioned a review article by a team of scholars with expertise with such reviews (Steensen, Larsen, Hågvar & Fonn, 2019). Second, we wanted to launch a new article format for the journal – the invited conceptual article (Westlund, 2018), and commissioned five articles to conceptualize ‘digital journalism’ from different research foci (Burgess & Hurcombe, 2019; Duffy & Peng Hwa, 2019; Robinson, Carlson & Lewis, 2019; Zelizer, 2019; Waisbord, 2019). Third, building on these articles, we authored an analysis of the breadth of discussions which have shaped the field of Digital Journalism Studies, outlined our vision of this field, and established the editorial agenda of Digital Journalism going forward guided by the Digital Journalism Studies Compass we introduced. In line with our vision for the journal and the rigorous work being developed in the field, all articles in this special issue were rigorously peer-reviewed by experts in the field. This book republishes the articles from the special issue in the original order and shape
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