Theory in Journalism Studies

• In Event: The Production of Knowledge About Journalism: Academic, Professional and Educational Perspectives

Abstract

This chapter investigates the role of theory in journalism through an analysis of keywords and abstracts in articles published in the two journals Journalism Studies and Journalism – Theory, Practice & Criticism. Based on this analysis, the chapter bring forth four arguments: (1) Journalism studies is marked by a pragmatist and empiricist approaches; (2) even though journalism studies is a multidisciplinary field, it is mostly shaped by sociological perspectives; (3) the emerging theories are heavily influenced by a techno-economic discourse; and (4) due to the vast amount of different theories, journalism studies is developing into a fragmented instead of a coherent direction.

Authors

• Laura Ahva

• Steen Steensen, Oslo Metropolitan University