Vol. 17 No. 2 (2023): Journalists beyond journalism: new figures for future and present challenges

Thematic Editors

PhD. Josep Lluís Micó
joseplluisms@blanquerna.url.edu

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1191-226X
PhD. Alba Sabaté Gauxachs

albasg@blanquerna.url.edu
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0956-9933

Ramon Llull University

About this monograph

Communication and technology advance hand in hand at a frenetic pace that stimulates a continuous reinvention of journalism. Organisations face the constant challenge of implementing changes without losing the essence of a profession with an inherent social function.

The integrated formula of crisis and digitalisation has created countless difficulties in recent decades. However, it has also opened new doors. New business models have emerged, and space has been made for innovative tools and platforms that have expanded the horizon. Artificial intelligence, automated content, the metaverse, influencers, branded content or podcasts have become trends that generate both support and scepticism. This is highlighted in the latest report on the future of journalism by the Reuters Institute (2023). The publication also predicts a period of heightened uncertainty marked by dilemmas such as sustainability and disinformation.

Despite the apparent perennial crisis in an evolving sector, the diversity of areas, topics, formats and positions within this context, offers a wide range of professional possibilities. Traditional roles have been expanded and we now find journalists beyond journalism. This monograph aims to explore this “beyond.” What professional roles do journalists occupy? In what types of organisations? What functions do they perform? In which formats do they work? Which sectors require their skills and knowledge? What opportunities will be available for new generations?

The aim is to answer these questions in order to explore the future of a profession that is heading decisively towards an increasingly present reality. This special monograph is linked to the central theme of the XXIX International Congress of the Spanish Society of Journalistic, which will take place in Barcelona on the 29 and 30 of June 2023.

Thematic editors

Josep Lluís Micó Sanz Josep Lluís Micó Sanz is a journalist, professor of Journalism, and dean of the Faculty of Communication and International Relations at Blanquerna (Ramon Llull University). Previously, he has been director of the Degree in Journalism and the Master's Degree in Advanced Journalism and Reporting Blanquerna-Grupo Godó, among other degrees. He has led national and international research projects and participated in innovation initiatives with tech giants like Google and Facebook. In the classroom, he teaches and practises with students the same genres and formats that he later applies in media or groups such as La Vanguardia, Prensa Ibérica or RTVE: new new journalism, big data visualisation, branded journalism... He has won several awards for articles and essays and has been featured in numerous lists of digital influencers.

Alba Sabaté Gauxachs is a journalist, coordinator of the Degree in Global Communication Management and professor of the Degree in Journalism and Corporate Communication at the Faculty of Communication and International Relations, Blanquerna (Ramon Llull University), where she also serves as the deputy director of the Observatory on Communication, Religion, and Culture. Currently a Board member of the World Association for Christian Communication and a 2020 Fellow of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), she has participated in national and international research projects. As Assistant Editor of Tripodos magazine, she previously coordinated the Blanquerna Master’s Degree in International Journalism and managed digital communication projects for organisations such as the Mobile World Capital Foundation, the Fundació Esclerosi Foundation and the Taula d'Entitats of the Third Social Sector of Catalonia.

Publication: 30 December 2023