Journalism has long been a field caught up in discussions of trends and changes. Technological changes, in particular, have been highlighted as well as changes in media structures, alongside changing political, economic, and social trends all playing out in changing societies. This has led – understandably – to a preoccupation within industry and scholarship with journalism’s future, as it tries to navigate each new development to both stay afloat, economically, and stay relevant in the societies where journalism operates.
However, an overemphasis on novelty and change at the same time makes it “difficult to discern passing fads from deeper shifts” within journalism (Carlson and Lewis, 2019: 644). Behind each headline-grabbing development is a larger set of dynamics, from societal forces and public values to technological opportunities and business decisions. Highlighting and scrutinizing these dynamics provides a better understanding of the complex context that shapes the nature and pace of journalistic change and can elucidate structural impediments to, for instance, diversity, inclusion and representation, journalists’ wellbeing and mental health, and the ongoing contestations over journalism’s boundaries.
With this conference, we aim to weave together the threads beneath these trends, situating change in context with an eye towards journalism’s future.
