Comparative Journalism Studies: Approaches, Methods and Paradigms
June 25-27, 2008
University of Tasmania
Hobart, Tasmania
Australia
http://www.utas.edu.au/ejel/journalismstudies/

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Michael Bromley
Professor of Journalism and Acting Head, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

What is journalism studies? The question - asked less than a decade ago in the hope it would " heal journalism's wounds and facilitate its revitalization" (Journalism 2000) - still resonates in the field of journalism studies. The wounds might not be healed, but the rapid growth of the community of journalism scholars, the number of international conferences, and the emergence of specialized journals certify that we are witnessing more than a simple revitalization of fragmented lines of inquiry. Multidisciplinary by nature, and globally oriented, the new academic discipline attracts researchers who increasingly define their interests as an investigation of journalism across different cultures, nation-states and communication environments.

We need to now ask, what is comparative journalism studies? What is the object of study? What do we compare when we compare media coverage of an issue across national boundaries? What is journalism in a global context? Is it an institution, a social act, a political phenomenon or an imaginative construction (Carey 2000)? What about the identity, mission and direction of comparative journalism studies? What approaches, methods and paradigms can be used to name and explain journalism phenomena in comparative contexts?

Aiming to develop a critical dialogue on the object, nature and mode of inquiry in comparative journalism studies, and to gain insight into this emerging field, the University of Tasmania, supported by the Journalism Studies Division of the International Communication Association, invites scholars to the International Conference "Comparative Journalism Studies: Approaches, Methods and Paradigms", 25-27 June 2008, to be held at the University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

This conference aims to provide an overview of the different frameworks helpful in explaining journalism across media forms, national and cultural contexts, and historical periods. We welcome papers that use case studies to address theoretical and methodological issues in the study of journalism in comparative contexts, and focus on questions such as (but not limited to):