6+1 Proposals for Journalism : Navigating Converging Pressures

An appraisal of key areas that pose obstacles to journalism’s progression.

In 2003, Shayne Bowman and Chris Willis wrote that “journalism is in the process of redefining itself, adjusting to the disruptive forces surrounding it.” Almost two decades later, discussions surrounding journalism and its future have not shifted as much as one would expect. The ensuing years have seen massive changes in the media landscape, great leaps in technological developments, financial crises, and the emergence of social media platforms, to name a few examples. It could be argued that we still share the same concerns.

This book is a dialogue, with each chapter highlighting threats to journalism’s future and pointing to direct proposals, indicating the steps needed to safeguard and enhance journalism. Issues in the industry that need to be addressed include current employment conditions, the dominance of web giants over crowdfunding, the lack of collaboration between professionals and academia, subpar media literacy, and elements of media regulation.

Chrysi Dagoula is assistant professor in the Department of Media Studies and Journalism at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. 

Sofia Iordanidou is associate professor of journalism and communication at the Open University of Cyprus and president of the Advanced Media Institute in Cyprus.