What Is Journalism For?

By Jon Allsop

What is at stake when journalism is threatened? Does society still need journalists?

Journalism faces multiple threats today all over the world: economic decline, online disinformation, the rise of AI, authoritarian curbs on freedom of the press, and violence against journalists. In such a climate, it's more urgent than ever to ask what journalism is for.

Drawing on his experience as a journalist and media commentator, and on interviews with journalists from the US to Myanmar, Jon Allsop examines key concepts that constitute journalism's role: good judgement, concern for truth and critical scrutiny of one or more communities.

Along the way, he also considers the relationship between journalism and activism; whether journalists should aspire to change the world and whether they can be seen as champions of democracy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1529238552
• ISBN13: 9781529238556
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Bristol University Press
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.0" x 8.0"