The Future of Journalism · Journalism Studies v19 2018

The sixth biennial Future of Journalism conference was organised by the School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC) at Cardiff University and held on campus from 14 to 15 September 2017. In keeping with its customary approach of identifying emerging trends in journalism research, this year the conference focused on the theme of “Journalism in a post-truth age”. It featured over 150 papers from international speakers presented across 40 sessions, with keynote speeches from Guy Berger, Linda Steiner, Silvio Waisbord, and Claire Wardle.

Papers on all aspects of journalism were welcomed for presentation, though contributions addressing the conference theme were particularly encouraged. Suggested issues to explore included:

• Challenges to the authority of legacy news institutions and the ideals of objectivity

• The increasing role of social media in shaping news consumption, and the associated emergence of “filter bubbles” and “echo chambers”

• The emergence of “fake news”

• The role of political satire as a form of news critique

• The increased automation of journalism through algorithms, bots, and robots

• The changing patterns of sourcing and roles of expertise in journalism

• Watching the watchdog: ensuring scrutiny, transparency, and accountability of journalism in a “post-factual” era

• The implications for improving journalism education associated with these developments

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Source: Introduction by L. Bennett, M. Berry, S. Allan