Worlds of Journalism: Journalistic Cultures Around the Globe

Abstract

How do journalists around the world view their roles and responsibilities
in society? Based on a landmark study that has collected
data from more than 27,500 journalists in 67 countries, Worlds of
Journalism offers a groundbreaking analysis of the different ways
journalists perceive their duties, their relationship to society and
government, and the nature and meaning of their work.
Challenging assumptions of a universal definition or concept of
journalism, the book maps a world populated by a rich diversity
of journalistic cultures. Organized around a series of key
questions on topics such as editorial autonomy, journalistic ethics,
trust in social institutions, and changes in the profession, it
details how the practice of journalism differs across the world
in a range of political, social, and economic contexts. The book
covers how journalism as an institution is created and re-created
by journalists and how they experience their profession in very
different ways, even as they retain a commitment to some basic,
widely shared professional norms and practices. It concludes with
a global classification of journalistic cultures that reflects the
breadth of worldviews and orientations found in disparate countries
and regions. Worlds of Journalism offers an ambitious, comparative
global understanding of the state of journalism in a time
when it is confronting a series of economic and political threats.

Full text

How do journalists around the world view their roles and respon-
sibilities in society? Based on a landmark study that has collected
data from more than 27,500 journalists in 67 countries, Worlds of
Journalism offers a groundbreaking analysis of the different ways
journalists perceive their duties, their relationship to society and
government, and the nature and meaning of their work.
Challenging assumptions of a universal definition or concept of
journalism, the book maps a world populated by a rich diver-
sity of journalistic cultures. Organized around a series of key
questions on topics such as editorial autonomy, journalistic eth-
ics, trust in social institutions, and changes in the profession, it
details how the practice of journalism differs across the world
in a range of political, social, and economic contexts. The book
covers how journalism as an institution is created and re-created
by journalists and how they experience their profession in very
different ways, even as they retain a commitment to some basic,
widely shared professional norms and practices. It concludes with
a global classification of journalistic cultures that reflects the
breadth of worldviews and orientations found in disparate coun-
tries and regions. Worlds of Journalism offers an ambitious, com-
parative global understanding of the state of journalism in a time
when it is confronting a series of economic and political threats.
$35.00 / £27.00 paper · 978-0-231-18643-8
$105.00 / £81.00 cloth · 978-0-231-18642-1
$34.99 / £27.00 ebook · 978-0-231-54663-8
JUNE 2019 448 pages
Worlds of Journalism
Journalistic Cultures Around the Globe
Thomas Hanitzsch, Folker Hanusch,
Jyotika Ramaprasad,
and Arnold S. de Beer, editors
THOMAS HANITZSCH is chair and professor of communication in
the Department of Communication and Media at LMU Munich. His
publications include The Handbook of Journalism Studies (second
edition, 2019). FOLKER HANUSCH is professor of journalism in the
Department of Communication at the University of Vienna, where
he heads the Journalism Studies Center, and adjunct professor
at Queensland University of Technology. He is editor in chief of
Journalism Studies. JYOTIKA RAMAPRASAD is professor in the
School of Communication at the University of Miami. Her books
include Contemporary BRICS Journalism: Non-Western Media in
Transition (2017). ARNOLD S. DE BEER is professor of journal-
ism at Stellenbosch University. His publications include Global
Journalism: Topical Issues and Media Systems (2009).
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“This will be a touchstone work for decades to come. It is not an
overstatement to say that this book is entirely unique; it’s spe-
cial because of the detailed discussion of national and regional
contexts. Worlds of Journalism contributes to the truly global
and international perspective of journalism, avoiding normativ-
ity and emphasizing diversity using a unique and comprehensive
dataset.”
—Henrik Örnebring, author of Newsworkers: A Comparative
European Perspective
“This book provides a kaleidoscopic overview of journalism
around the world. Its organization and execution provides a
model for comparative research, and its findings raise important
questions that are sure to orient future scholarship. Already well-
regarded by colleagues, this publication solidifies the Worlds of
Journalism project as a leading effort to make sense of the com-
plex realities that journalists around the world confront today.”
—Matthew Powers, University of Washington
“One of the key elements of this anthology is an effort to make
journalism studies truly global and comparative. . . . I recommend
this book for its scope and theoretical execution. It is a must-read
for all journalism scholars.”
—Shakuntala Rao, author of Indian Journalism in a New Era
“Worlds of Journalism is ample proof of the diversity of journalis-
tic cultures around the globe and an excellent example of a truly
collaborative study. It provides fascinating insights into the atti-
tudes and values of media personnel beyond the western world.
The book is a must-read in journalism research.”
—Barbara Pfetsch, editor of Political Communication Cultures in
Western Europe: Attitudes of Political Actors and Journalists in
Nine Countries