[ecrea] Cfp Brazilian Journalism Research: Special Issue Journalistic professionalism in the digital age

Journalistic professionalism in the digital age

Guest editor: Beate Josephi (University of Sydney, Australia).

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.

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 /at/ 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

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