Digital journalism defines its relationship to democracy differently to When traditional journalism. Technological changes have made it possible to participate actively in the creation and distribution of news, a role previously confined to journalists and media houses, thus potentially democratizing journalistic processes. This talk first sets out different models of communicative democracy, notably the elitist, the participatory and the deliberative model. It then explores how these new possibilities of participation affect journalism, journalists and society as a whole, discussing both gains and losses. As yet digital journalism is unevenly spread across the globe, but its affordances have the potential to reinvigorate the participatory and deliberative model of democracy.
Dr Beate Josephi is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney. Her research queries the role of democracy in journalism. Recent publications include a chapter on ‘Digital Journalism and Democracy’ in the forthcoming Handbook on Digital Journalism (Sage), edited by Tamara Witschge, Chris Anderson, David Domingo, and Alf Hermida; and a guest-edited issue of Journalism on ‘Decoupling Journalism and Democracy’ (2014).