Quality Journalism? An Anthology about Threats and Possibilities in a Time of Media Change

2010-05-10

This book contains articles by 20 journalists, media researchers and opinion makers.
The main part is in Swedish, but three contributions are in English. The book will be published on june 2 2010.

Charlie Beckett, director of POLIS at the London School of Economics, writes about Quality Journalism in a Networked Age:
 "I don’t have a fundamental problem with the idea that there is something called ‘quality’ journalism. Yes, it can be an excuse for lazy elitism or complacent coteries. However, the idea that some sorts of journalism can be more difficult to make, more important to society or more sophisticated and challenging in its content is surely something to be encouraged."

John H. McManus, media researcher and author in the U.S., writes about Defining and Evaluating News Quality. His latest book, Detecting Bull, deals with the same topic. A quote from his contribution:
 "News quality’s definition follows from the primary function of news in a self-governing society – to maximize public understanding of current issues and events. Quality is simply the extent to which journalism accomplishes this goal."

Steven A. Smith, associate professor in journalism at the University of Idaho. From 2002–2008 he was the editor of The Spokesman-Review, a daily newspaper in Spokane, Washington (USA), noted during those years for various methods of making the newsgathering process more transparent. He writes under the headline Searching for a Journalistic Renaissance:
 "We most certainly have a crisis in the business of journalism. But quality journalism in the United States – journalism defined by its accuracy, balance, depth and relevance to community – could as easily be on the brink of a renewal, ironically fueled by the same forces that threaten destruction."

The contributions in English are all together 45 pages. The title of the book in Swedish is Journalistisk kvalitet?
To order the book, go to http://mediestudier.bokorder.se