Hyperlocal Journalism

In the wake of the withdrawal of commercial journalism from local communities at the beginning of the 21st century, Hyperlocal Journalism critically explores the development of citizen-led community news operations. The book draws together a wide range of original research by way of case studies, interviews, and industry and policy analysis, to give a complete view of what is happening to communities as their local newspapers close or go into decline to be replaced by emerging forms of digital news provision. This study takes the United Kingdom as its focus but its findings speak to common issues found in local media systems in other Western democracies. The authors investigate who is producing hyperlocal news and why, as well as production practices, models of community and participatory journalism, and the economics of hyperlocal operations. Looking holistically at hyperlocal news, Hyperlocal Journalism paints a vivid picture of citizens creating their own news services via social media and on free blogging platforms to hold power to account, redress negative reputational geographies, and to tell everyday stories of community life. The book also raises key questions about the sustainability of such endeavours in the face of optimism from commentators and policy-makers.

At a time when digital technologies are impacting on the success and sustainability of traditional models of journalism, hyperlocal journalism seeks to restore journalistic integrity, build community, incite change and engage audiences. This book argues for the increased importance of these new forms of localized reporting in the digital age. Hyperlocal Journalism and Digital Disruptions begins with the fundamental question of what hyperlocal journalism is, then focuses on three case studies which illustrate its potential to thrive when the right balance is struck between audience engagement, investment and respect. Each case study examines a different start-up in Australia and New Zealand. Although the notion of hyperlocal journalism is not new, the ways in which these regionalized stories are now being told has evolved. This book demonstrates the increased necessity for tailored approaches to creating and providing hyperlocal journalism in order to engage targeted audiences, meet their needs for news and reclaim authenticity and credibility for journalism. This is a valuable resource for researchers, academics, students and practitioners in the areas of Digital Journalism and Media Studies generally.

In the modern world, digital communication presents a dual role of advantage and challenge. The surge in social media platforms and technological innovations has revolutionized interpersonal interaction, information accessibility, and communication methods. Nonetheless, this intricate landscape poses significant obstacles for scholars, researchers, and students across diverse domains. The infusion of social media into realms such as communication science, advertising, and public relations underscores the need for authoritative resources that can illuminate current trends and future projections in digital communication. Moreover, given the dynamic nature of digital technologies and social media platforms, continuous and pertinent research is imperative to fathom their societal impact and communication implications. Offering a definitive solution to the challenges presented by the digital communication revolution, Advancements in Socialized and Digital Media Communications, edited by Ebru Gülbu? Erol and Michael Kuyucu, emerges as a pivotal work. This book provides a comprehensive compilation of both empirical and theoretical insights, spanning a spectrum of digital communication facets. Encompassing disciplines like public relations, journalism, marketing, cinema, and radio television, the book equips researchers, academics, and students with comprehensive perspectives, research findings, comparative analyses, and in-depth case studies. Addressing a diverse audience, from seasoned scholars to curious professionals and the public, the book's thought-provoking chapters traverse social networks, digital radio, video-sharing platforms, advertising, and reputation management, offering a well-rounded grasp of digital communication's intricacies. By delivering up-to-date and extensive explorations of digital media and communication, this book empowers readers to navigate the complexities of this swiftly evolving realm.

Local Journalism investigates the range of meanings associated with the ‘local newspaper’ and considers how digital technology has disrupted the fabric of the local news industry. Divided into two parts, this book first provides a theoretical account of how normative meanings associated with the local newspaper have been challenged by the impact of digital technology and then goes on to explore these questions via case studies drawn from a variety of contexts including the US, Ireland, Denmark, the UK and Spain. It suggests three thematic ways of understanding the role of the legacy local newspaper in a post-digital environment, namely as an information provider, commercial entity and community champion. While much scholarship talks of their demise, this book argues for a more nuanced understanding of the local newspaper and its continued significance to people, places and commercial interests. Local Journalism will benefit students, academics and researchers in the areas of journalism, media studies and sociology.

This comprehensive edited collection provides key contributions in the field, mapping out fundamental topics and analysing current trends through an international lens. Offering a collection of invited contributions from scholars across the world, the volume is structured in seven parts, each exploring an aspect of local media and journalism. It brings together and consolidates the latest research and theorisations from the field, and provides fresh understandings of local media from a comparative perspective and within a global context. This volume reaches across national, cultural, technological and socio-economic boundaries to bring new understandings to the dominant foci of research in the field and highlights interconnection and thematic links. Addressing the significant changes local media and journalism have undergone in the last decade, the collection explores the history, politics, ethics and contents of local media, as well as delving deeper into the business and practices that affect not only the journalists and media-makers involved, but consumers and communities as well. For students and researchers in the fields of journalism studies, journalism education, cultural studies, and media and communications programmes, this is the comprehensive guide to local media and journalism.

Digital Journalism Studies: The Key Concepts provides an authoritative, research-based "first stop-must read" guide to the study of digital journalism. This cutting-edge text offers a particular focus on developments in digital media technologies and their implications for all aspects of the working practices of journalists and the academic field of journalism studies, as well as the structures, funding and products of the journalism industries. A selection of entries include the topics: Artificial intelligence; Citizen journalism; Clickbait; Drone journalism; Fake news; Hyperlocal journalism; Native advertising; News bots; Non-profit journalism; User comment threads; Viral news; WikiLeaks. Digital Journalism Studies: The Key Concepts is an accessible read for students, academics and researchers interested in Digital Journalism and Digital Journalism Studies, as well as the broader fields of media, communication and cultural studies.

This book offers a timely insight into how the news media have adapted to the digital transformation of public communication infrastructure. Providing a conceptual roadmap to understanding the disruptive, innovative impact of digital networked journalism in the 21st century, the author critically examines how and to what extent news media around the world have engaged in digital adaptation. Making use of data from news media content production and distribution both off- and online, as well as user and financial data from the U.S. and internationally, the book traces how the news media embraced and reacted to key developments such as the invention of the World Wide Web in 1989 and the launch of Google in 1998, Facebook in 2004, and the Apple iPhone in 2009. The author also highlights innovative organizations that have sought to reimagine news media that are optimized for digital, online, and mobile media of the 21st century, demonstrating how these groups have been able to stay better engaged with the public. Disruption and Digital Journalism is recommended reading for all academics and scholars with an interest in media, digital journalism studies, and technological innovation.