Journalism: Critical Issues

"...this book can be recommended to journalism students as a useful entry point into many of the debates surrounding 21st century journalism, and as a way of encouraging thought about what, indeed, a journalist may be."
Tony Harcup, University of Sheffield

• What are the key issues confronting journalism today, and why?
• What are the important debates regarding the forms and practices of reporting?
• How can the quality of news be improved?

Journalism: Critical Issues explores essential themes in news and journalism studies. It bringstogether an exciting selection of original essays which engage with the most significant topics,debates and controversies in this fast-growing field.Using a wide range of case studies, topics include:

• Journalism’s role in a democracy
• Source dynamics in news production
• Journalism ethics
• Sexism and racism in the news
• Tabloidization, scandals and celebrity
• Reporting conflict, terrorism and war
• The future of investigative journalism

The book is written in a lively manner designed to invite discussion by identifying key questionsaround a critical issue. Each chapter assesses where journalism is today, its strengths and itschallenges, and highlights ways to improve upon it for tomorrow.

Journalism: Critical Issues is essential reading for students and researchers in the fields ofnews and journalism, media studies, cultural studies, sociology and communication studies.

Contributors: Stuart Allan, Alison Anderson, Olga Guedes Bailey, Steven Barnett,Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Michael Bromley, Cynthia Carter, Simon Cottle, Chas Critcher,Matthew David, Máire Messenger Davies, Bob Franklin, Robert A. Hackett, RamaswamiHarindranath, Ian Hutchby, Richard Keeble, Justin Lewis, Minelle Mahtani, P. David Marshall,Brian McNair, Martin Montgomery, Alan Petersen, Susanna Hornig Priest, Jane Rhodes,Karen Ross, David Rowe, Prasun Sonwalkar, Linda Steiner, Howard Tumber, Ingrid Volkmer,Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, Barbie Zelizer.

Stuart Allan is Reader in the School of Cultural Studies, University of the West of England, Bristol. He is the author of News Culture (Open University Press, 1999; second edition, 2004) and Media, Risk and Science (Open University Press, 2002). His previous collections include, with co-editor Barbie Zelizer, Journalism After September 11 (Routledge, 2002) and Reporting War: Journalism in Wartime (Routledge, 2004). He is the editor of the `Issues in Cultural and Media Studies’ book series for Open University Press, and serves on the editorial boards of the journals TEXT (Mouton de Gruyter), Time & Society (Sage) and Space and Culture (Sage).

Alison Anderson teaches Sociology at University of Plymouth.

Olga Guedes Bailey is a journalist, and Senior Lecturer in the School of Media, Critical and Creative Arts at Liverpool John Moores University, England.

Oliver Boyd-Barrett is Professor of Communication at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Michael Bromley is Professor of Journalism at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Cynthia Carter teaches in the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University.

Simon Cottle is Director, Media and Communications Program at the University of Melbourne.

Chas Critcher is Professor of Communications at Sheffield Hallam University, UK.

Matthew David teaches Sociology at University of Plymouth.

Máire Messenger Davies is Professor of Media Studies and Director of the Centre for Media Research in the School of Media & Performing Arts, University of Ulster at Coleraine.

Bob Franklin is Professor of Media Communications in the Department of Journalism Studies at the University of Sheffield, UK.

Robert A. Hackett is Professor of Communication at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver.

Ian Hutchby is Reader in the Department of Human Sciences at Brunel University, West London, England.

Richard Keeble is Professor of Journalism at the University of Lincoln.

Justin Lewis is Professor of Communication at the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies.

Minelle Mahtani is Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, University of Toronto.

P. David Marshall is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.

Brian McNair is Professor of Journalism and Communication at Strathclyde University.

Martin Montgomery teaches at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, where he is Reader in English Studies and Director of the Scottish Centre for Journalism Studies.

Alan Petersen teaches Sociology at University of Plymouth.

Susanna Hornig Priest is Director of Research for the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina.

Jane Rhodes is Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies and an Affiliated Associate Professor of Communication at the University of California, San Diego.

Karen Ross is Reader in Mass Communication at Coventry University, England and visiting professor at the School of Politics, Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland (2001-2004).

David Rowe teaches Media and Cultural Studies and is Director of the Cultural Industries and Practices Research Centre (CIPS) at The University of Newcastle, Australia.

Prasun Sonwalkar teaches journalism studies at the School of Cultural Studies, University of the West of England, Bristol.

Linda Steiner teaches journalism and media studies at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Howard Tumber is Professor of Sociology and Dean of the School of Social Sciences, City University, London.

Ingrid Volkmer is based at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

Karin Wahl-Jorgensen teaches in the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies.

Barbie Zelizer is the Raymond Williams Professor of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication.