The Dislocation of News Journalism: A Conceptual Framework for the Study of Epistemologies of Digital Journalism

Abstract

This article focuses on news journalism, social media platforms and power, and key implications for epistemology. The conceptual framework presented is intended to inspire and guide future studies relating to the emerging sub-field of journalism research that we refer to as “Epistemologies of Digital Journalism”. The article discusses the dependencies between news media and social media platforms (non-proprietary to the news media). The authority and democratic role of news journalism pivot on claims that it regularly provides accurate and verified public knowledge. However, how are the epistemic claims of news journalism and the practices of justifications affected by news journalism’s increased dependency on social media platforms? This is the overall question discussed in this article. It focuses on the intricate power dependencies between news media and social media platforms and proceeds to discuss implications for epistemology. It presents a three-fold approach differentiating between (1) articulated knowledge and truth claims, (2) justification in the journalism practices and (3) the acceptance/rejections of knowledge claims in audience activities. This approach facilitates a systematic analysis of how diverse aspects of epistemology interrelate with, and are sometimes conditioned by, the transformations of news and social media.

Let’s dance the news! How the news media are adapting to the logic of TikTok

“…Although news media outlets cannot drive traffic to their websites through this platform, some take advantage of the platform for other objectives, such as giving visibility to their brand among the young public, integrating themselves into the logic of the platform in a natural way, although distant from their usual journalistic practices. The presence on TikTok already requires specific strategies and resources for this third-party platform, delving into the dislocation of news journalism (Ekström and Westlund, 2019).…”

Competition, Change, and Coordination and Collaboration: Tracing News Executives’ Perceptions About Participation in Media Innovation

“…This ongoing shift in news consumption from proprietary to non-proprietary platforms has resulted in a dislocation of news journalism, partly decoupling news items from their original publishers (Ekström and Westlund 2019). Scholars have also questioned what influence news media have over gatekeeping, considering that platforms, algorithms, and users have gained enhanced significance (Wallace 2018).…”

Epistemologies of digital journalism and the study of misinformation

“…In total, these and other studies on epistemologies of digital journalism gesture to the overall “dislocation” of news, as it moves from platforms produced and controlled by traditional news media to platforms outside their jurisdiction, altogether complicating how news functions as knowledge (Ekström and Westlund, 2019b). Indeed, recent longitudinal mappings of digital journalism studies reveal that epistemology is among several key dimensions of emerging research (Steensen et al, 2019).…”