Current anxiety about the future of news makes it opportune to revisit the notion of professionalism in journalism. Media expert Silvio Waisbord takes this pressing issue as his theme and argues that professional journalism is both a normative and analytical notion.

Acknowledgments vi Introduction 1 1 Paths to Professionalism 19 2 The Dilemmas of Professional Autonomy 43 3 The Ambiguities of Professional Journalism 73 4 Questioning Professional Journalism 94 5 The Professional Logic of Journalism 121 6 Professionalism and Media Patrimonialism 149 7 The Globalization of Professional Cultures 174 8 Post-Professional Journalism? 202 Conclusion: Reinventing Professionalism 222 References 234 Index 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