The field of journalism has always attempted to serve the news industry and the university, while enhancing the institution of democracy. This equation of educating students, and training journalists to work in the news industry, makes the field of journalism serve the establishment of a democratic society.
Over the years, there is a more pressing need to address more substantive issues such as changes in communication and the role of a free press in a democracy.
In Journalism Research and Education (JRE) section, we worked as members of the section to publish a journal that reflects our needs as educators and journalists, by attempting to answer the difficult questions: How can we push transformation in a global setting with different approaches and schools of thought? What is journalism for? Why are we doing this? Who are we serving with our current journalism practice?
The different editions of the journal in English and Portuguese answer to these questions serve as guideposts at every stage of the reporting and editing process, from determining whether an event is newsworthy, to deciding on a specific story angle, to selecting research and interview sources, to writing the story lead, to determining where that story is placed in the newspaper or newscast. Every news story, from the most serious to the most trivial, requires an explanation, a justification, and a theory that journalism research could explore, behind its production.
But we are also aware of the challenges resulting from resistance coming from all directions. It is thus urgent to go beyond the pedagogical philosophy of “learning by doing” the standards employed in the mainstream news media, especially that many attempt to transform this approach has been denounced, and framed as a dichotomy that divorces theory from practice.
The JRE journal in its two editions (English and Portuguese) provides a new platform for scholars and professionals to connect and discuss many of the practical matters related to journalism and education in an open content resource, and keep abreast with the vast range of ideas and high theories in journalism education research.
At the end, the Journal of Journalism Research and Education (JRE) aims to allow JRE members and other interested parties a new dimension for an ongoing forum of ideas and research, a kind of critical thinking that asks us, as journalism teachers and as researchers to question constantly our own assumptions and beliefs in practice and theory.
We, members of the JRE section want this space to explore and learn new ideas, practices and research experiences through mutual respect of diversity in ways of thinking and cultural issues and languages that relate to journalism research and education, whether through our dynamic workshop sessions, and through our peer-reviewed articles in two languages.
The JRE on-line Journal gives attention to the cross-cutting themes of the field of journalism with all its alliterating ‘consumerism, commercialization and challenges from the side of education, and that of research. It is thus trying to find ways to improve the field of journalism, by highlighting the expected skills and providing a new niche of public spheres that can aggregate views about journalism standards and values that could enlighten citizenry that is reflective of social mixes within individual societies. Journalism progress and political reform go hand in hand to engage journalism educators, researchers and professionals with the appropriate setting and context to foster a better performance of the industry.
Ibrahim Saleh
Chair, Journalism Research and Education Section
