Research group Quality Journalism in Digital Transition
Digitalisation provides many new opportunities within journalism. But it is also providing for a host of complications. Our research group - referred to as J-Lab for short - studies both phenomena. We focus primarily on digital research and digital narrative forms within journalism. We are also investigating what digitalisation might mean for journalism.
Lines of research within the research group
The way journalists acquired their sources used to be a matter of routine. Nowadays, the online world displays an abundance of information. It is becoming increasingly difficult to select and verify relevant and reliable information sources from the immense range on offer. Our study therefore focuses on the way journalists nowadays go about doing this.
Due to technological developments, stories can be composed in a multiple of ways. New forms in which to tell a story are constantly emerging. Immersive journalism is one example of this. In this form of journalism, the audience is, as it were, included as part of the story.
Our research takes a close look at the way journalistic organisations discover new forms of independent storytelling. In addition, we are interested in the tension that such changes are creating for the social and economic position of the profession.
Digitalisation also entails certain complications. One of these concerns journalistic independence. Examples of where this comes into play are the dominant position of Google, the increasingly difficult distinction between real and virtual or between true and false information. It is the social task of journalism to familiarise the public with such distinctions.
Immersive Journalism and the Engaged Audience
Immersive journalism improves engagement and the audience is better informed as a result. We are researching the impact of immersive journalism.
Credibility in live blogs
Disasters, court cases, elections or sports events: how do journalists realize and the public accept the journalistic credibility of live blogs?
Publications
- A wheelbarrow full of frogs How media organisations in the Netherlands are dealing with online public complaints
- The Use and Verification of Online Sources in the News Production Process
- Audience uses and evaluations of news visualizations When does an infographic say more than a thousand words?
Education
The J-Lab contributes to the education of research skills and is also actively involved in educational innovation and development. Degree programmes and the research group are strongly intertwined in both formal and informal partnerships. The development of a learning continuity pathway committed to research ensures for our strong focus on professional research competence.