Reinventing Professionalism

Silvio Waisbord is professor of media and public affairs at The George Washington University and the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Press/Politics.

• Acknowledgments viIntroduction 11 Paths to Professionalism 192 The Dilemmas of Professional Autonomy 433 The Ambiguities of Professional Journalism 734 Questioning Professional Journalism 945 The Professional Logic of Journalism 1216 Professionalism and Media Patrimonialism 1497 The Globalization of Professional Cultures 1748 Post-Professional Journalism? 202Conclusion: Reinventing Professionalism 222References 234Index 263

“This book is the go-to manuscript on journalistic professionalism. It forces readers to repeatedly reset what they know, importing critical questions and valuable answers that change our sense of what professionalism is and how it works. A tour de force!”Barbie Zelizer, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia“Journalism’s claim to professional status has been subject to challenge throughout its history, but it seems fair to say the stakes for democracy have never been higher than they are today. Silvio Waisbord offers a fresh, engaging perspective on a key set of simmering debates. In arguing that professionalism is necessary for journalism to be a counterweight to power, he encourages us to rethink journalism’s core ethics in a manner alert to questions of responsibility, transparency and accountability. Reinventing Professionalism is a must read.”Stuart Allan, The Media School, Bournemouth University“In cutting through disparate literatures about journalism, Silvio Waisbord makes a daring, sophisticated argument about professionalism. Avoiding extremes of sentimentality and cynicism, equally eschewing romantic and apocalyptic claims, he explains why journalism practices and ethics can simultaneously differ, hybridize, and overlap around the world. This book deserves, and will enjoy, a long shelf life.”Linda Steiner, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland“At a time of huge turmoil surrounding the occupation of journalism, Silvio Waisbord provides a supremely ‘professional’ account of the boundaries of journalistic work. Scholars and students interested in the history and origins of journalism practice will find a clear and detailed analysis of how the myriad of ideas surrounding professionalism in journalism evolved.”Howard Tumber, City University London "A well-written and sophisticated account of professional journalism that will no doubt prove invaluable to those working in areas such as media sociology, journalism and media studies."MIA