Skip to content

Ask an Academic

  • Home
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us
Art gallery

To what extent is there a ‘crisis’ in contemporary journalism?

September 25, 2019 by AskanAcademic.com

To what extent is there a ‘crisis’ in contemporary journalism?

Question

How to critically assess the extent to which there is a ‘crisis’ in contemporary journalism?

Answer

There has been extensive commentary on the emergence of a multifaceted crisis in journalism in recent years. For example, Almiron (2010) documents a physical decline in the field as a result of the collapse of media conglomerates in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis whilst Simons (2011) points to the digital revolution as a force for the evolution of the role of journalists and a LSE (2015) article draws attention to the dynamics of news reporting, noting a distinct shift away from depth and detail as a direct result of the speed at which news events are now reported. This also raises the question of ethics, noting that the credibility of journalism has declined significantly as a result of incidents like the British phone hacking scandal (Fuller, 2010; Wyatt, 2014) The combination of factors here does suggest that the field of journalism is currently entrenched in a crisis that provides a broad indication of a shift towards the need for change if it is to emerge from it. However, there is a dissenting viewpoint that suggests that it is less a crisis and more an evolution of the field and its focus. Anderson (2012), for example, notes that there has been a severe decline in jobs in journalism but that the audience is larger as a result of the growth of digital media and that there is a need to take advantage of that. Whilst there is some merit to this perspective, there is a need to acknowledge that journalistic standards have been questioned and public confidence lost. As such, there is a journalistic crisis at the moment but to a slightly lesser extent than many critics suggest.

References

Almiron, N., (2010). Journalism in Crisis: Corporate Media and Financialization. London: Hampton Press.

Anderson, K., (2012). In Journalism in Crisis? Al Jazeera. [Online] Available at: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/04/2012422134046353438.html [Accessed 18 July 2016].

Fuller, J., (2010). What Is Happening to News: The Information Explosion and the Crisis in Journalism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

LSE, (2015). 2015: A Year of Crisis Journalism That is Reshaping the News. LSE. [Online] Available at: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/polis/2015/12/30/2015-a-year-of-crisis-journalism-that-is-reshaping-news/ [Accessed 18 July 2016]

Simons, M., (2011). Journalism at the Crossroads. Brunswick: Scribe Publications.

Wyatt, W., (2014). Introduction. In W. Wyatt ed. The Ethics of Journalism: Individual, Institutional and Cultural Influences. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. xv-xxiv.

Post navigation

Previous Post:

Why is natural medicine important?

Next Post:

Business Environment for a New Product: Pakistan

Search Q&As

Categories

  • Art Media and Literature (74)
  • Business and Management (256)
  • Computing and ICT (14)
  • Construction and Engineering (35)
  • Education (90)
  • Environmental Sciences (2)
  • Finance and Economics (91)
  • Health (64)
  • Languages (12)
  • Law (88)
  • Mathematics and Statistics (2)
  • Medical Sciences (19)
  • Politics and International Relations (83)
  • Research Methodology (1)
  • Science (49)
  • Social Sciences (101)

Archives

Who We Are

Askanacademic.com is owned and operated by All Answers Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. Company Registration No: 4964706. VAT Registration No: 842417633. Data Controller No: Z1821391.

Registered office:
Venture House
Cross Street
Arnold
Nottingham
NG5 7PJ

Main Navigation

  • Home
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us

Legals

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Categories

  • Business and Management
  • Law
  • Finance and Economics
  • Health
An an Academic Logo
© 2023 Ask an Academic | WordPress Theme by Superb Themes
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Reject
Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT