Journalism in Transition: Role Performance in a Changing Media Landscape

This volume brings together cutting-edge research on how journalism is practiced and transformed in a rapidly changing media environment. Drawing on diverse case studies from around the world, the book explores how journalists navigate tensions between professional ideals and real-world constraints, including political pressures, technological change, audience demands, and evolving relationships with sources. It reveals not only how journalism is changing, but also why these transformations matter for democracy and public life.

Through a rich collection of empirical and theoretical contributions, the chapters examine how key journalistic roles are performed across different media systems and cultural contexts offering unparalleled comparative insights into journalistic role performance. From social media branding and news satire to investigative journalism, fact-checking, and coverage of artificial intelligence, the volume offers a comprehensive and accessible overview of contemporary journalism in practice.

Written in an engaging style, it provides valuable insights for students, scholars, and anyone interested in understanding how journalism shapes―and is shaped by―the societies it serves.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Journalism Practice.

Claudia Mellado is a professor of journalism in the School of Journalism at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV), Chile, and a Fellow of the International Communication Association. Her research focuses on the study of journalism cultures, journalistic roles, and comparative studies. She is the principal investigator of the Journalistic Role Performance (JRP) Project.

Daniel C. Hallin is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Diego, USA. His books include, The "Uncensored War": The Media and Vietnam; "We Keep America on Top of the World": Television Journalism and the Public Sphere, Comparing Media Systems: Three Models of Media and Politics; and Making Health Public.