Routledge Handbook of Alternative and Participatory Journalism

In the face of increasingly diverse and de-centred news landscapes, this Routledge Handbook critically examines the editorial judgements and practices involved in alternative and participatory news production, how these forms interact with mainstream journalism, and how audiences respond to and engage with them.

Theories and empirical understandings of alternative journalism remain highly contested, including why and how to construct boundaries between alternative and mainstream journalism. Taking this ambiguity as its starting point, this volume problematizes definitions of alternative and participatory journalism, providing a comprehensive evaluation of existing research as well as developing a new agenda of international debates and issues for the 21st century. Divided across four parts, authors from around the world consider the history and practical realities of producing alternative news content alongside questions of trust, accuracy, bias, politics, and independence. They reflect on the increasingly important role of technologies such as social media and streaming platforms in making and sharing alternative journalism; alternative journalism by and for marginalized and underrepresented groups, including Black and indigenous peoples; and alternative approaches to reporting in democratic, authoritarian, and hybrid states. This volume also explores new theories and methods for studying global alternative journalisms.

Bringing together some of the foremost scholars and new voices in the field, The Routledge Handbook of Alternative and Participatory Journalism is a key resource for students and researchers of journalism, communication, and media studies.

Jennifer Rauch is professor of journalism and media studies at Linfield University in the U.S. Her research on alternative media, news audiences, public trust in journalism, media abstention, and independently published zines has been widely published. She is the author of Resisting the News: Engaged Audiences, Alternative Media & Popular Critique of Journalism and Slow Media: Why Slow is Satisfying, Sustainable & Smart. Before joining the academy, Rauch worked as a news writer, reporter, photographer, and editor.

Stephen Cushion is a professor at the School of Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University, U.K.. His research focuses on political communication and journalism studies, particularly topics related to political reporting, impartiality, misinformation and alternative media. He has written and published widely on issues related to news, politics and journalism, supported by projects funded by UKRI council grants or commissioned by media organisations, such as Ofcom.