ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the large and growing area of comparative research in journalism studies, describes key studies and main findings, and focuses on the conceptual and methodological challenges. It deals with a primer on the definition and value of comparative research and concludes with a few remarks on the future of comparative inquiry into journalism. The chapter also focuses on cross-national comparisons, as the category is—despite its shortcomings—still the most popular research strategy. Research into the similarities and differences in journalism around the world has become one of the most fascinating areas in the field of journalism studies, and scholars have increasingly chosen to adopt a comparative perspective in recent years. There is little consensus on the origins of comparative research in journalism studies. Early comparative research in journalism studies focused on professionalism and processes of professionalization. Comparative studies of news cultures broadly stretch between an emphasis on similarity and a focus on differences.