Out of Print - by George Brock (Paperback)

About the Book

Learn how journalism can flourish in a new communications age.

Book Synopsis

News and journalism are in the midst of upheaval: shifts such as declining print subscriptions and rising website visitor numbers are forcing assumptions and practices to be rethought from first principles. The internet is not simply allowing faster, wider distribution of material: digital technology is demanding transformative change. Out of Print analyzes the role and influence of newspapers in the digital age and explains how current theory and practice have to change to fully exploit developing opportunities.
In Out of Print George Brock guides readers through the history, present state and future of journalism, highlighting how and why journalism needs to be rethought on a global scale and remade to meet the demands and opportunities of new conditions. He provides a unique examination of every key issue, from the phone-hacking scandal and Leveson Inquiry to the impact of social media on news and expectations. He presents an incisive, authoritative analysis of the role and influence of journalism in the digital age.

Online supporting resources for this book include downloadable lecture slides.

Review Quotes

"...optimistic without being sentimental, thought-provoking without being pretentious and realistic without being harsh, which makes it comforting for someone with a keen interest in seeing journalism prevail and hopefully eye-opening for those who wish to better understand it."-- "Madeleine Maccar, Chicago Center for Literature and Photography"

"

...makes a significant contribution in the field of journalism studies work on the future
of journalism. Out of Print: Newspapers, Journalism and the Business of News in the Digital Age offers a solid grounding for those looking for a quick brush-up with some current concerns facing the press, as well as a clear grounding in the newspaper crisis that arguably begins back in the 1920s or even 1880s. The compelling argument about industrialization and decline is particularly unique, and the merits of finally having a clear and approachable Leveson breakdown for a global audience is most welcome.

"-- "Nikki Usher, International Journal of Communication"

"Brock is a journalist at heart. His confession at the start of the book reveals that in ample measure. The book is in some ways a response to a taunt by a business columnist that had doubted the ability of a journalism professor to offer credible and useful advice on business. By the time you finish reading the book, you realise that Brock has more than addressed that concern [...] What clearly stands out in Brock's analysis is his articulation of the changing paradigm of the journalism business."-- "Business Standard"

"Brock's stance is refreshing and the book is a pleasure to read."-- "Word News Publishing Focus"

"Seeking to reassure the doom-mongers, [George Brock] delves back into the history of journalism and demonstrates the shaky beginnings and rapid innovation that powered news journalism for three centuries before the maturation and slow decline of the business in the 20th century. His précis of the history is fascinating and elegantly done."-- "Emily Bell, New Statesman"

"The great virtue of Brock's book is that it deals comprehensively, intelligently and unsentimentally with the entire range of major questions about journalism now [...] it is the best single source available for context about the situation as a whole."-- "Nicholas Lemann, The Times Literary Supplement"

"When George Brock talks, in his excellent book, about the "disruption" of the net, the atomisation of news and opinion, he evokes echoes of a different era: an unruly world of vituperation, agitation, even revolution. But this time it may not be the melee of new voices that crowded the pages of centuries past. This time it's a higgledy-piggledy high-tech empowerment that politicians (and editors) can't control."-- "Peter Preston, The Guardian"

About the Author

George Brock is a professor and former head of the prestigious Graduate School of Journalism at City University London. During his career as a journalist he worked for the Observer and The Times, where he was Foreign Editor, Managing Editor and Saturday Editor. He has served as president of the World Editors Forum and is on the board of the International Press Institute. He is a regular commentator on news and journalism in the UK and global media and is an active conference speaker and reviewer.