Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores important features of wider debates about the news media’s responsibilities within public life. It explores the continuing importance of the ‘public sphere’ as a concept for news and journalism studies, arguing that its reinvigoration can facilitate efforts to better understand journalism’s challenge to authoritarian systems of governance, including identity-minded struggles for social justice. The book evaluates the current state of research into public trust in journalism, opening up for deliberation the possibility that distrust may be vital in renewing journalism’s public and democratic orientation. It provides a shared interest in delving into the seemingly common-sensical imperatives shaping everyday news reportage. The book presents a range of contributions concerned with the news coverage of crisis events unfolding around the world.