Reckoning

More about the book

How do journalists know what they know, and who decides what constitutes good journalism? These questions, once rarely posed, have gained urgency as journalists face real-time critiques of their ethics and reporting. The challenges confronting journalism today are often attributed to technological disruption and economic decline, but this book argues that the issues run deeper. Based on five years of research with journalists across various news organizations in the U.S. and Canada, the authors reveal a digital reckoning concerning journalism's foundational ideals and practices. They examine the profession's historical representational harms, highlighting that, despite discussions on the role of diverse publics, journalism has not sufficiently addressed issues of gender, race, intersectionality, and settler colonialism. In rethinking journalism's potential, the authors propose a shift towards strong objectivity and systems journalism as a way forward. Drawing on journalists' experiences with repair, reform, and transformation, they explore how the field can confront its limitations and expand its engagement with diverse media publics. This examination offers valuable insights into the evolving role of journalism in society.