Conceptualizing and Understanding Journalism

This chapter serves as a general introduction to the Handbook of Applied Journalism: Theory and Practice. It shows that the attempt to conceptualize and understand journalism is not without challenges. First, there are diverse disciplines and paradigms all striving to operationalize the practice of journalism. Second, there is a clash of perspectives among journalism scholars about journalism both as a concept and as practice. The volume is an attempt to shed light on how journalism is conceptualized and understood as practice. Conceptual underpinnings are reviewed and discussed, but the scope of the volume focuses on understanding the practice of journalism and how it works in different regions and cultures. Thus, the handbook’s four parts attempt to explain how journalism is conceptualized and understood as practice. Part One titled Conceptual Foundations elaborates on notions defining journalism and journalism practice, drawing on journalism theories and the world of professionals. Titled Journalism Scholarship and Journalism Practice, Part Two takes off from the previous conceptual foundations to explore possible bridges to cross the chasm between theory and practice and then provide a host of rules, samples, and practices of how to do so. Part Three, titled Regions and Cultures, spans different continents and covers the culture and practice of journalism in 15 different countries. In Part Four, titled The Practitioner World, journalism practitioners present their own experiences of journalism as practice and the relevance of journalism as scholarship to their profession.