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.

Advances in digital communication have affected the relationship between society, journalism, and politics within different contexts in varied ways and intensities. This volume, combining interdisciplinary academic and professional perspectives, assesses the impact of the digital media environment on citizens, journalists, and politicians in diverse sociopolitical landscapes. The first part evaluates the transformative power of media literacy in the digital age and the challenges that journalism pedagogy encounters in global and fragmented environments. The second part critically examines the methods in which social media is used by politicians and activists to communicate during political campaigns and social protests. The third part analyzes the impact of digitalization on professional journalism and news consumption strategies. The fourth part offers a range of case studies that illustrate the significant challenges facing online media regarding the framing and representation of communities in crisis and shifting contexts. The book is intended to introduce readers to the crucial dynamic and diverse challenges that affect our societies and communitive practices as a result of the interplay between digital media and political and societal structures.