ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is about the boundaries of journalism. It begins with the simple question of how journalism comes to be demarcated from non-journalism. It sets out by promoting a view of journalism as a varied cultural practice embedded within a complicated social landscape. Journalism is not a solid but a constantly shifting denotation applied differently depending on context. Whatever is distinct about journalism must be continuously constructed. The chapters in Part I trace the relationship between how journalism is thought about and the types of work practices and outputs that emerge. The chapters in Part II shift the focus to the role that boundaries play in the interactions between different types of journalistic and non-journalistic actors. The book concludes with an epilogue by Seth Lewis. He argues that it's not enough to demonstrate the importance of boundaries and their study in journalism.
