The J Word 4.1: Did Digital Kill News Beats? Artwork

The J Word: A Podcast by Journalism Practice

What is journalism? How can we make it better? What does "better" look like? We talk about some of these questions -- and answer them -- in our discussions with academics and professionals who've published recently in Journalism Practice. We focus on meanings of advancing digital technologies in journalism, social issues and conditions that journalists (need to) cover, and the future of the field. Articles featured in the episodes are temporarily made free access for citizens, journalists, scholars, and students. While the discussions are rooted in research, they are approached to influence practice. The podcast is hosted and produced by Robert (Ted) Gutsche, Jr., a former journalist, Associate Editor at Journalism Practice, an Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Critical Digital Media Practice at Lancaster University in the U.K. and Visiting Professor at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. Follow him on Twitter @RobertGutscheJr and the podcast @JournPractice or email us with ideas and feedback at jwordpodcast@gmail.com.

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The J Word: A Podcast by Journalism Practice

The J Word 4.1: Did Digital Kill News Beats?

February 02, 2022 • Season 4 • Episode 1

No, news beats aren’t dead. But they do look different in today’s digital world. Just who is covering what? Do assigned beats matter? What’s the tension between journalistic specialization and the general assignment beat? This episode features guests from a recent Journalism Practice special issue, “The State of the News Beat.”

Zvi Reich, Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, joins as one of the issue’s editors, and Richard Jones, subject leader for the area of media, journalism, and film at the university of Huddersfield in the UK, talks about his article, “It’s the best job on the paper,” where he investigates the state of court reporting in the UK.

Text Featured in this Episode:

Reich, Z., Jackman, O., Mishaly, T., & Blum, L. (2021). The State of the News Beat: Expertise and Division of Labour in Current Newsrooms. Journalism Practice, 15(9), 1199-1202.

Jones, R. (2021). “It’s the Best Job on the Paper”–The Courts Beat During the Journalism Crisis. Journalism Practice, 1-22.

Produced and hosted by Robert (Ted) Gutsche, Jr.

Give feedback to the podcast on Twitter @JournPractice or email jwordpodcast@gmail.com

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Robert (Ted) Gutsche, Jr.

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