Final Report Summary - NEWS FLOW (From Credit Crunch to Austerity Europe: how news narratives on the financial crisis are continually shifting and what this means for democracy)
The deliverables planned were: a book, two journal articles, a symposium, two outreach activities, and an edited volume. In addition, there were five training objectives: 1. To acquire greater specialised knowledge within journalism studies; 2. To improve the researcher’s methodological skills; 3. To improve the researcher’s collaborative skills; 4. To improve the researcher’s leadership skills; 5. Scholarly publications. The researcher, with the support of the scientist-in-charge and the host institution, has completed the work planned, including designing a research framework and performing quantitative and qualitative research on the news coverage of the crisis. She has written up the results in a book, the manuscript for which is in the final stages of completion. She has also submitted three related articles to academic journals, and has organised an international symposium on the media and the economic crisis as well as several outreach activities. She is lead editor on an edited volume on "The Media and Austerity" to be published by Routledge, for which she is also contributing a chapter and an introduction and conclusion. She has delivered eight conference papers and five guest papers. She has undergone training in line with the training objectives. She has forged collaborations with colleagues at the host institution, Cardiff School of Journalism, Media & Culture, as well as City University and Goldsmiths College in the UK, the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California, and the Amsterdam School of Communication Research.
The study has a strong social dimension and possible impact, being about an important social institution – journalism – and its role in a crisis that has defined an era. It has several possible stakeholders apart from academics. The book is targeted at the general public, who can use it to inform themselves about the media coverage of the crisis and to help make decisions as citizens. The research can further be used by civil society organisations; by journalists to help them reflect on their reporting; and by policy makers when developing media policy. Further scholarly articles and media interventions are planned in the next period, and there will likely be possibilities to extend and develop the research in the years to come.