The Journalism Manifesto - by Barbie Zelizer & Pablo J Boczkowski & C W Anderson (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Drawing on the collaborative expertise of three senior scholars, The Journalism Manifesto makes a powerful case for why journalism has become outdated and why it is in need of a long-overdue transformation.Focusing on the relevance of elites, norms and audiences, Zelizer, Boczkowski and Anderson reveal how these previously integral components of journalism have become outdated: Elites, the sources from which journalists draw much of their information and around whom they orient their coverage, have become dysfunctional; The relevance of norms, the cues by which journalists do newswork, has eroded so fundamentally that journalists are repeatedly entrenching themselves as negligible and out of sync; and because audiences have shattered beyond recognition, the correspondence between what journalists think of as news and what audiences care about can no longer be assumed.This authoritative manifesto argues that journalism has become decoupled from the dynamics of everyday life in contemporary society and outlines pathways for fixing this essential institution of democracy. It is a must-read for students, scholars and activists in the fields of journalism, media, policy, and political communication."--Publisher's website.

Book Synopsis

Drawing on the collaborative expertise of three senior scholars, The Journalism Manifesto makes a powerful case for why journalism has become outdated and why it is in need of a long-overdue transformation.

Focusing on the relevance of elites, norms and audiences, Zelizer, Boczkowski and Anderson reveal how these previously integral components of journalism have become outdated: Elites, the sources from which journalists draw much of their information and around whom they orient their coverage, have become dysfunctional; The relevance of norms, the cues by which journalists do newswork, has eroded so fundamentally that journalists are repeatedly entrenching themselves as negligible and out of sync; and because audiences have shattered beyond recognition, the correspondence between what journalists think of as news and what audiences care about can no longer be assumed.

This authoritative manifesto argues that journalism has become decoupled from the dynamics of everyday life in contemporary society and outlines pathways for fixing this essential institution of democracy. It is a must-read for students, scholars and activists in the fields of journalism, media, policy, and political communication.

Review Quotes

"The Journalism Manifesto is a short, yet powerful journey. In only five chapters and 122 pages, Zelizer, Boczkowski, and Anderson provide a tour de force that should give journalism studies scholars and audiences the grace to pause. Have we been doing our best to seek equitable and inclusive futures? Have we responded to the elites, norms, and audiences of journalism with a keen eye and attention toward social justice? What role should those marginalized for decades (and centuries) play in a new journalism? Can we burn the institutional box journalism resides within and from its ashes, like a phoenix, establish something new? The authors tackle these questions with such tremendous intellect and accessibility. And because of that, and so much more, this book belongs on bookshelves and to be taught in classrooms."
Journal of Communication Inquiry

About the Author

Barbie Zelizer is a former journalist and the Raymond Williams Professor of Communication, and the Director of the Scholars Program in Culture and Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication.

Pablo J. Boczkowski is Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor in the Department of Communication Studies and Director of the Center for Latinx Digital Media at Northwestern University.

C.W Anderson is Professor of Media and Communication at the University of Leeds.