Gatekeeping in Transition

Much of what journalism scholars thought they knew about gatekeeping―about how it is that news turns out the way it does―has been called into question by the recent seismic economic and technological shifts in journalism. These shifts come with new kinds of gatekeepers, new routines of news production, new types of news organizations, new means for shaping the news, and new channels of news distribution. Given these changing realities, some might ask: does gatekeeping still matter?

In this internationally-minded anthology of new gatekeeping research, contributors attempt to answer that question. Gatekeeping in Transition examines the role of gatekeeping in the twenty-first century from organizational, institutional, and social perspectives across digital and traditional media, and argues for its place in contemporary scholarship about news and journalism.

Tim P. Vos is chair and associate professor of Journalism Studies and coordinator of global research initiatives at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He is co-author, with Pamela J. Shoemaker, of Gatekeeping Theory (2009).

François Heinderyckx is full professor at Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB, Brussels) and Chang-Jiang Scholar Professor at Communication University of China, Beijing (2013-2018). He was President of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) between 2005 and 2012. He was also the 2013-2014 President of the International Communication Association (ICA).