"This book responds to mounting calls to broaden the theorization of digital journalism, addressing critical questions about an emerging yet rapidly expanding area of study, and presenting multiple entry points and approaches that help us understand digital journalism better. Seeking to establish it
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self as a rich resource and a defining reference point for the evolving field, the handbook provides a critical appraisal and a useful overview of novel approaches and concepts, backed by a full breadth of dynamic and diverse interactions drawn from overlapping and critical studies by some of the leading experts on digital journalism. This handbook presents multiple methodological perspectives, reporting strategies, threats and opportunities and valuable insights on future trajectories for digital journalism practice in an era dominated by digital media technology. Split into four parts, it has been uniquely assembled to investigate and critique the full potential of digital journalism capturing broader, cross-cultural perspectives from all four corners of the world." (Publisher description)
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"Independent youtubers who create content on political, social and economic issues attract very large audiences and are increasingly the object of study for journalism scholars. This article contributes to the literature by conducting a detailed analysis of the Australian YouTube channel friendlyjor
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dies. Rather than comparing the channel to the journalistic field, this article assesses whether friendlyjordies produces journalism by applying definitions based on journalism’s democratic functions. With the democratic functions approach the critical question is not, who is a journalist? but who is performing the democratic functions of journalism? This question guides the research that combines the analysis of three friendlyjordies videos with data from an interview with a producer of the channel. From this analysis, this article argues that friendlyjordies produces platform journalism, an emerging form of journalism that applies the norms and affordances of a specific platform, in this case YouTube. Moreover, when a democratic functions approach is applied to friendlyjordies, it becomes evident that the channel engages in public interest platform journalism." (Abstract)
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"Most scholars focus on the prevalence and democratic effects of (partisan) news exposure. This focus misses large parts of online activities of a majority of politically disinterested citizens. Although political content also appears outside of news outlets and may profoundly shape public opinion,
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its prevalence and effects are understudied at scale. This project combines three-wave panel survey data from three countries (total N = 7,266) with online behavioral data from the same participants (over 106M visits). We create a multi-lingual classifier to identify political content both in news and outside (e.g. in shopping or entertainment sites). We find that news consumption is infrequent: just 3.4% of participants’ online browsing comprised visits to news sites. Only between 14% (NL) and 36% (US) of these visits were to news about politics. The overwhelming majority of participants' visits were to non-news sites. Although only 1.6% of those visits related to politics, in absolute terms, citizens encounter politics more frequently outside of news than within news. Out of every 10 visits to political content, 3.4 come from news and 6.6 from non-news sites. Furthermore, exposure to political content outside news domains had the same – and in some cases stronger - associations with key democratic attitudes and behaviors as news exposure. These findings offer a comprehensive analysis of the online political (not solely news) ecosystem and demonstrate the importance of assessing the prevalence and effects of political content in non-news sources." (Abstract)
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"Digital Journalism: Perspectives from South Asia is a descriptive, exploratory book on digital journalism practices and policies followed in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. It brings in-depth perspectives on content, communication, and community between communication theory and the
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digital news ecosystem rooted in a South Asia. What makes this book interesting to read is the integration of forms with manifestations on ground intersecting identities and ideologies. The book thoroughly investigates changes in the regulatory framework, regulations, policies, and code of conduct. Various chapters in the book pursue significant and exciting topics on the changing spaces of news production and consumption, the inter relationship between old and new media, everyday digital news usage and engagement, social media for news, revenue models for digital journalism among others. The highlight of this book is engaging debates on digital journalism practices modeled around mobile journalism, immersive storytelling, gamification, in the context of local and hyper local communities in South Asia. Since Digital Journalism draws extensively from algorithms, matrices and analytics, this book has exclusive chapters on data journalism, data visualization and big data." (Publisher description)
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"[...] TikTok is much more than just a social network. Increasingly, it serves as a search engine, connecting its users with trends, music, and news—the latter in a significant way. Various studies indicate that TikTok has now become the primary news source for Gen Z, with this trend on the rise.
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Thus, the platform also offers an opportunity for journalists to reach an audience less engaged with traditional news mediums such as print, broadcast, and online journalism. Jacque Manabat recognised this opportunity and became the first Southeast Asian journalist to implement TikTok as a news platform. The former TV reporter and Adenauer Fellowship Program alumna began experimenting with the platform during the pandemic, drawing inspiration from numerous successful influencers on TikTok. The experiment succeeded: today, Jacque Manabat is an independent creator on TikTok. In an interview with Vanessa Buchmann, she discusses the initial resistance she faced, and why her courage ultimately paid off. The Filipina provides insights into what makes TikTok unique as a platform, shares what she has learned about the younger generation, and demonstrates how journalists can thrive there." (https://kas-media.asia)
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"If you are a journalist with a story to tell or a hobbyist with a burning passion for your subject we have broken up the act of producing a podcast into 61 steps that are meant to instruct but also inspire. We have collected expert advice from podcasters from all around the world and distilled it i
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nto this guide. Our experts have worked on all different types of podcasts, winning awards and gaining huge audiences. Here for the very first time we bring their collective experience together in an effort to make the definitive guide for those starting to podcast (and those who have been working in the medium for years)." (Page 2)
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"This playbook is designed for media managers and journalists who are looking to monetise their social media channels and diversify their income — particularly in countries where English is not the predominant language. It will provide you with practical strategies and tips for creating and moneti
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sing content on social media, as well as insights into the unique challenges and opportunities that come with operating in a non-English speaking environment. Whether you’re a seasoned media professional or a novice just starting out, this book is the perfect guide to help you navigate the complex world of social media monetisation and succeed in the digital age." (Introduction, page 7)
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"MEDIA LOVES TECH is the name and the idea behind this project that got underway in 2018. The goal is to bring together two worlds that are often too far apart: journalism and the startup community. Together with Al Khatt, a local project partner and non-governmental media organization, we wanted to
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scout, promote, develop and test innovations for the media sector. That same year, a legal support framework for startups in Tunisia came into effect, structured around a label of merit and benefits for entrepreneurs, investors and startups. Just like MEDIA LOVES TECH, it aims to support development through bold entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ideas. Since its launch, the annual MEDIA LOVES TECH incubation program, financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supports eight to twelve startups. Implemented almost entirely online, and originally as a three-day mentor-supported hackathon, it has grown to become an incubation cycle that lasts three months. It promotes all phases of a startup — from the original idea to market entry.
It has been five years since the program was started and it is still going strong. This publication is an initial assessment. Does the belief that progress comes from promoting innovation hold true? Can promoting new media projects with viable business models succeed in an unstable economic or political environment? One needs to look at various aspects to find answers. It is often said that over 90 percent of startups go under in the first two years. Still, startups are often seen as a forerunner to economic development and as having a stimulating effect on the overall economy. Even if initiatives do flop, their traces can still be found in the ecosystem. When assessing the MEDIA LOVES TECH program, it is worth reflecting on what has been achieved and gaining insights for the future. Five projects are presented here. Our team has taken an in-depth look at the projects’ stories and progress and includes key performance indicators. Measuring impact in an unsteady startup environment can be a challenge, and our success stories address this. But as we at DW Akademie believe, “big changes start small,” and so do the startups presented here." (Foreword)
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"To date, the study of news deserts, geographic spaces lacking local news and information, has largely focused on countries in the Global North, particularly the United States, and has predominantly been interested in the causes and consequences of the disappearance of local media outlets (e.g., new
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spapers and TV stations) to the social fabric of a community. In this article, we extend the concept of “news deserts” by drawing on literature on the geography of news in Africa, where information voids have long been documented but have not been studied within the conceptual framework of news deserts. Using computational tools, we analyse a sample of 519,004 news articles published in English or French by news websites in 39 African countries. We offer evidence of the existence of online news deserts at two levels: at a continental level (i.e., some countries/regions are hardly ever covered by online media of other African countries) and at a domestic level (i.e., online news media of a given country seldom cover large areas of the said country). This article contributes to the study of news deserts by (a) examining a continent that has not been featured in previous research, (b) testing a methodological approach that employs computational tools to study news geographies online, and (c) exploring the flexibility of the term and its applicability to different media ecosystems." (Abstract)
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"In this study we identify and elaborate at least six components of the digital media ecosystem: (1) content creators and distributors; (2) consumers/users; (3) monetization channels; (4) advertising networks, (5) data analytics and insights and (6) social media, streaming and e-commerce platforms.
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Qualitative findings have revealed four major traits of the digital media ecosystem in Western Balkans: (1) market underdevelopment (the market significantly lags behind the developed countries); (2) financial constraints (media outlets are not resourceful enough and lack funding to use advanced services digital media ecosystem offers); (3) media dynamics and technological uptake (traditional media outlets recognize the opportunity in digital media and mostly possess digital channels as secondary screens to their main formats, with larger media also utilizing the opportunities of YouTube and podcast format); (4) driven by donors or media outside of WB (independent media outlets are mainly driven by donors and external investments. Furthermore, the main reasons for slower progress in the media landscape and with media outlets in Western Balkans are identified in the study, namely: (1) economic challenges, (2) lack of infrastructure, (3) regulatory environment, (3) media ownership and control, (4) lack of training and skills and (5) monetization challenges. Each of these reasons are elaborated, with the support of arguments from the primary study.
Comprehensive maps of media outlets and IT companies in the Western Balkans are created, with detailed lists of both categories provided. Here, it can be concluded that there are plenty of actors in both sectors as well as the sector is growing. The study further groups media outlets into three main categories, taking the level of digital transformation and technology adoption: (1) advanced media outlets, (2) media outlets undergoing transformation, and (3) traditional media outlets. In terms of IT companies, and general in the IT sector, which is very prolific in the region, the study selected ones that demonstrate innovativeness and an advanced assortment of services and products, positioning them as potential collaborators for media outlets seeking to improve their digital presence, engagement strategies, and content delivery mechanisms." (Executive summary, pages 1-2)
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"This chapter maps out the contours of recruitment and retention practices in an increasingly complex African news media ecosystem in which traditional news media operate alongside a new crop of small but very vibrant media start-ups that are intentionally unencumbered by traditional journalistic an
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d professional normative practices." (Abstract)
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"Central Asian post-independence media and communication industries, professional practices, education, persisting and evolving values, and traditions remain critically understudied with a notable scarcity of research and scholarly publications on the complex and increasingly changing communicative
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ecology landscape of this region. Mapping the Media and Communication Landscape of Central Asia: An Anthology of Emerging and Contemporary Issues addresses this gap in literature by exploring, analyzing, and shedding light to the field, practice, research and critical inquiry of media and mass communication in four countries in Central Asia—Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. This book includes local authors as well as new and emerging researchers from this region to contextualize the issues explored and provide a supportive dialogue between different points of view." (Publisher description)
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