Brazilian journalism research invites you to send for its issue on Journalistic professionalism. Journalistic professionalism has been a contentious concept throughout its existence. Making journalism a profession stood behind the initial idea of establishing journalism schools, mostly at a tertiary level. These would provide the education enabling journalists to perform the role of information provider knowledgably, responsibly and accurately. Such professional expertise would also underpin journalism’s claim as being an essential part in political, social and cultural life of a country.
Guest editors : Beate Josephi (Edith Cowan University, Australia).
Yet the notion of being educated in academia for a job whose real life working conditions were very different met with distrust, not to say disdain, in the industry. In some countries, journalism education was provided on the job well into the 1980s. Other countries, like Spain and Portugal, from the 1930s to the 1970s, used tertiary journalism education as a licensing system and a mechanism to exert ideological influence. In yet other countries, notably Brazil, the licensing system lasted into the new millennium, abolished mainly because media houses opposed the restrictive employment situation. Journalism educators, on the other hand emphasized journalism education as the best way to transmit a set of knowledge and skills necessary for journalism practice, to regulate the labour market and to reinforce standards that ensure journalistic professionalism.
The advent of the digital age has shifted the discussion. It reignited the debate about exclusivity, and potential elitism, of professional journalism. This is contrasted with the desire to make journalism more inclusive, and call for wider public participation and engagement in news creation and distribution. Yet with the extensive changes occurring in journalism, journalistic professionalism has re-emerged as a tool in the boundary work of differentiating journalists from other participants in the digital information provision. It allows journalists to be distinguished by their professional skills.
The topic of journalistic professionalism in the digital age is therefore a multifaceted one. We invite contributions that address the aspects mentioned, in particular as they relate to the present situation and which may address the following questions :
Characteristics of journalistic professionalism in the digital age. This question, for example, could explore characteristics that should be considered as most distinctive of journalistic professionalism in the digital age ;
The importance of journalistic professionalism. This question, for example, could explore the need or optionality of journalistic professionalism.
The importance for journalists to embrace the participatory environment. This question, for example, could explore how much prospective journalists should be taught to work more closely with their audience or readership.
The importance of ethics in journalistic professionalism in the digital age ;
The impact of the new media economy on journalistic professionalism. This question, for example, can explore how the changes in the media’s business model affect journalistic professionalism ;
The training needed for journalistic professionalism in the digital age. This question, for example, could explore the question of which skills should be considered as vital for prospective journalists in the digital age.
Articles must be submitted by May 30, 2016, to be selected for the issue Volume 12, Number 3, to be published in December 2016. The length of texts must be between 30 000 and 40 000 characters with spaces. As the Brazilian Journalism Research publishes two versions of each number (Portuguese/ Spanish and English), the authors of accepted papers submitted in Portuguese or Spanish must provide a translation into English. Likewise, the articles submitted and accepted in English must provide a translation into Portuguese or Spanish. Articles should be sent exclusively through the electronic system SEER / OJS, available from the journal website : http://bjr.sbpjor.org.br If you have questions, send e-mail to bjr@gmail.com.
Guidelines for authors are available in the link : http://bjr.sbpjor.org.br/bjr/about/submissions#authorGuidelines
Deadlines
Submission of papers : until May 30, 2016
Results of selected texts : August 30, 2016
Delivery of final versions in English and Portuguese or Spanish and with revision and additional information suggested by the editors : October 30, 2016
Publication : December 2016