"Amidst the glut of studies on new media and the news, the enduring medium of television finally gets the attention it deserves. Cushion brings television news back into perfect focus in a book that offers historical depth, geographical breadth, empirical analysis and above all, political significance. Through an interrogation of the dynamics of and relations between regulation, ownership, the working practices of journalism and the news audience, Cushion makes a clear case for why and how television news should be firmly positioned in the public interest. It should be required reading for anyone concerned with news and journalism."
- Natalie Fenton, Goldsmiths, University of London
"An admirably ambitious synthesis of journalism scholarship and journalism practice, providing a comprehensive resource of historical analysis, contemporary trends and key data."
- Stewart Purvis, City University and former CEO of ITN
Despite the democratic promise of new media, television journalism remains the most viewed, valued and trusted source of information in many countries around the world.
Comparing patterns of ownership, policy and regulation, this book explores how different environments have historically shaped contemporary trends in television journalism internationally. Informed by original research, Television Journalism lays bare the implications of market forces, public service interventions and regulatory shifts in television journalism's changing production practices, news values and audience expectations.
Accessibly written and packed with topical references, this authoritative account offers fresh insights into the past, present and future of journalism, making it a necessary point of reference for upper-level undergraduates, researchers and academics in broadcasting, journalism, mass communication and media studies.
Introduction
Introducing Television Journalism: Sustaining Its Influence into the Twenty-First Century
'Death of TV News... Much Exaggerated': A Story of Declining Television Audiences but Signs of a Revival?
The Scope of the Book
The Role of News in Television Culture: Current Debates and Practices in Contemporary Journalism
Television and the Public Sphere: Journalism in a Multi-Channel Environment
Scheduling Wars: Locating Television News in an Increasingly Entertainment-Based Medium
(Re)Shaping Television Journalism: Public and Commercial Models of Broadcasting
Changing Times, Changing Values: Television News's Shifting Values and Conventions
Towards a Post-Broadcasting Culture? Television News and Media Convergence
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
From Radio to Television: Making Sense of Broadcasting History
The Birth of Broadcasting: Creating National Broadcast Ecologies
Making Sense of Television: Reshaping News Journalism
Deregulating Broadcast Structures: Towards a Commercial News Environment
TRENDS IN TELEVISION JOURNALISM
Redefining What's Newsworthy: Towards 24-Hour News Values and Conventions?
News values: what makes television journalism distinctive?
The Arrival and Impact of 24-Hour News Channels: Three Phases of Global Television Journalism
Live, Rolling News Drama: Empirical Endeavours into 24-Hour News Conventions
Interrupting the News for what Purpose? Exposing the Myth of Breaking News
The Systemic Impact of Rolling News Journalism: Towards 24-Hour News Values and Audience Expectations?
The Rise of Partisan News Consumption: Towards a Polarization of Television Journalism and Audiences?
Network News in Retreat: A New Era of Political Journalism?
News Audiences Go Political: Which Television Channels Are People Watching and Why?
Letting the Fox off the Leash: The Relaxation of the Fairness Doctrine and the 'Foxification' of Television News
Redefining Political News Journalism: Blurring the Lines between News and Comedy
Making Sense of Comedy News: Scholarly Readings into 'Popular' Political Programming
Keeping the Fox on a Leash: Towards the Polarisation of News Audiences beyond the US?
Reporting the Politics of Devolved Nations: Towards More Localized Television News?
Localised News, National Media: Sustaining Journalism Locally
Four Nations, One Union: Devolving Politics without Devolving National Media Ecologies
Reflecting the Four Nations? The King Report and Television Coverage of Devolved Politics
Market Deficit, Public Service Requirement: The BBC Trust and the Impact of Interventionist Regulation
Challenging 'Light-Touch' Orthodoxy: Towards more Evidence-Driven Interventionist Re-Regulation
JOURNALISTS AND SCHOLARS
Entering the Profession: Who Are Television Journalists?
Who Are Television Journalists: A Professional or Occupational Pursuit?
A Face for Television? Gender and Ethnic Minority Status amongst Journalists
Educating or Training? Towards an Increasingly Middle-Class Graduate-Led Occupation
Distinguishing between News Sources: Which Journalists and Journalism Do Audiences Trust?
Putting Television News Centre Stage: The Past, Present and Future Shape of Journalism ScholarshipŁ
Introduction: Studying 'Journalism'
Television Journalism Scholarship: The Formative Years
(Re)prioritising 'Old' above 'New' Media: Why Online Journalism Is Punching above Its Democratic Weight
New Directions in Television News Studies: The Future of Journalism Studies
