Introduction

This chapter introduces the main aim of the book—to explore how we can understand and analyse the range of key factors that have an important effect in shaping news production practices, the contexts they operate in, and the implications they have in shaping the democratic qualities of news. Explaining the inspiration for the book, the chapter sets out three further aims: to bring existing research about the factors that shape the production of news together under the umbrella of a central organising framework; to provide the necessary tools for readers to take a critical approach to analysing the production of news and to reflect on the consequences of the way it is organised; and to provide a way of reflecting on the implications of recent changes and transformations in the news environment, particularly those shaped by technology, for the relationships between journalists, news organisations, audiences and sources. The chapter finishes by providing an outline of the book and a summary of each chapter.