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SoSe 21: Analyzing Legacies of In- and Exclusions in Journalism Studies and Practices

Anna Antonakis

Comments

In this class, we will discuss how journalism as a “classic“ part of the public sphere(s) is being challenged and expanded through the involvement of new actors, institutions and (participatory) media technologies. We want to tackle questions such as these: Who and what gets published and represented in today’s networked public sphere? How have selection processes changed over time and where can they be situated? The mechanism of in- and exclusions impacting these questions can be analyzed on different levels: first, we look at the level of journalism studies itself and trace theoretical developments in the field. Second, we investigate developments in media institutions and journalistic practices, taking into account socio-political and economic conditions of (news) media production and reception. How has “access” to these institutions and spheres changed over time in digitalized media landscapes? Third, on the level of journalistic outputs, we look at in- and exclusions from a thematic dimension, in terms of “classical” agenda setting, but also algorithmic editing. On the other hand, we address questions of sexist, racist and classist language and rhetoric through which exclusions can be produced, but also look at forms of contestation. Finally, we also evaluate concrete debates in Germany around quotas in media organizations as one approach to increase diversity and the transmission of inclusive knowledge. close