Abstract
This paper provides a sympathetic critical engagement with the framework recently developed by Christopher Anderson (2008) for understanding the form, constitution and operation of journalistic authority. It argues that Anderson usefully draws upon approaches developed within sociological studies of professions and professionalism, while augmenting these by bringing them into dialogue with both ‘cultural’ analyses of journalism and work that has sought to understand the constitution and operation of journalism as a ‘field of cultural production’. While this paper suggests that this framework both embodies a sophisticated theoretical perspective and provides useful heuristic directions for research, it suggests that a Foucauldian understanding of journalism, as an historically and contextually variable cultural technology that operates as part of a broader field of governmental practices, addresses two potential shortcomings of Anderson’s model. Firstly, it provides a more concrete and materialist understanding of ‘culture’ that serves to avoid a slippage toward forms of cultural and political-economic determinism. Secondly, it provides a less idealistic, and consequently more realistic, conception of journalistic autonomy. Having considered the implications of this for an understanding of how journalism is constituted and operates as a “cultural technology” that contributes to formations of public life, it concludes by reflecting on the normative implications of this approach for journalism studies
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Communication, Creativity and Global Citizenship: Refereed Proceedings of the Australian and New Zealand Communications Association Annual Conference, Brisbane, July 8-10. |
Editors | Terry Flew |
Place of Publication | Brisbane |
Publisher | Australian and New Zealand Communications Association (ANZCA) |
Pages | 655-671 |
Number of pages | 17 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781741072754 |
Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Event | ANZCA 2009 - Communication, Creativity and Global Citizenship - Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia Duration: 8 Jul 2009 → 10 Jul 2009 https://www.anzca.net/conferences/past-conferences/2009-conf.html |
Conference
Conference | ANZCA 2009 - Communication, Creativity and Global Citizenship |
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Abbreviated title | ANZCA2009 |
Country/Territory | Australia |
City | Brisbane |
Period | 8/07/09 → 10/07/09 |
Internet address |