Key research themes
1. How has technology reshaped journalistic practices, identities, and organizational dynamics in digital journalism?
This research area examines how digital technologies, particularly the Internet, social media, and emerging AI tools, have transformed the routines, roles, and self-conceptions of journalists. It investigates the integration of technologies into news production, the resulting hybridized forms of journalism, and organizational adaptations within newsrooms. This theme matters because technological change deeply influences journalistic autonomy, professional ethics, labor conditions, and the nature of news content in democratic societies.
2. What are the emerging forms, ethical challenges, and professional boundaries in digital journalism innovation and new media practices?
This theme explores novel journalistic formats enabled by digital technology, including immersive journalism, gamified news, multimedia storytelling, synthetic media with AI automation, and hybrid practices involving citizen participation. It also addresses normative concerns about ethics, professionalism, and the contested boundaries of journalism in an increasingly fragmented media ecology. Understanding these innovations is crucial for grasping how journalism can sustain democratic functions while navigating technological and societal transformations.
3. How is digital journalism reshaping audience engagement, community interaction, and journalist-audience relations, especially in local and social media contexts?
This theme investigates changes in the interactions between journalists and audiences fostered by digital platforms, particularly social media. It covers new communication routines, challenges in engaging communities (especially local journalists' digital practices), and the effects of social media use on journalist safety, professional autonomy, and news dissemination dynamics. Exploring these changes is vital for understanding journalism’s evolving role in public spheres and maintaining trust and dialogue in contemporary societies.