ABSTRACT
What are we referring to when we say “journalism”? In this introductory chapter, I will explore various threads that allow us to think about journalism as something that is ontogenetic, or constantly coming into itself, constantly becoming. Using the classic thought experiment of “the ship of Theseus”, this chapter explores institutional approaches to understanding journalism. It juxtaposes discussions of journalism as something stable, with recognition of the many changes the field has undergone. It offers a conceptual roadmap interweaving institutional discussions with those from field theory to present an argument for adjoining legacy and novelty when thinking about journalism nowadays. In doing so, it highlights the aim of this book, which is to consider how new institutions that are now endemic to journalism can be thought of as part of journalism’s constant, ongoing, process of becoming.
