research topics for journalism

Research Topics & Ideas: Journalism

50 Topic Ideas To Kickstart Your Research Project

Research topics and ideas about journalism

If you’re just starting out exploring journalism-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research by providing a hearty list of journalism-related research ideas , including examples from recent studies.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . These topic ideas provided here are intentionally broad and generic , so keep in mind that you will need to develop them further. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

To develop a suitable research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan to fill that gap. If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Journalism-Related Research Topics

Analyzing the impact of social media on news consumption patterns among millennials.
Investigating the role of investigative journalism in combating political corruption.
The impact of digital transformation on traditional print media business models.
Examining the ethical challenges of undercover reporting in investigative journalism.
The role of citizen journalism in shaping public opinion during major political events.
Analyzing the effectiveness of fact-checking platforms in combating fake news.
The impact of smartphone journalism on the quality of news reporting.
Investigating the representation of minority groups in mainstream media.
The role of photojournalism in humanizing the impacts of climate change.
Analyzing the challenges of maintaining journalistic objectivity in conflict zones.
The impact of artificial intelligence on newsroom operations and reporting.
Investigating the influence of media ownership on editorial independence.
The role of journalism in shaping public policy on environmental issues.
Analyzing the portrayal of mental health issues in news media.
The impact of live streaming technology on broadcast journalism.
Investigating the challenges faced by freelance journalists in the digital era.
The role of journalism in promoting government accountability in emerging democracies.
Analyzing the effects of sensationalism in news reporting on public trust.
The impact of virtual reality technology on immersive journalism.
Investigating the role of press freedom in protecting human rights.
The challenges of reporting on science and technology in mainstream media.
Analyzing gender representation in sports journalism.
The impact of media consolidation on diversity of perspectives in news.
Investigating the ethical implications of drone journalism.
The role of independent media in fostering democratic processes.

Journalism-Related Research Ideas (Continued)

Analyzing the portrayal of immigration in national news outlets.
The impact of censorship and media regulation on journalistic practices.
Investigating the role of podcasts in the future of journalism.
The challenges and opportunities of bilingual reporting in multicultural societies.
Analyzing the dynamics of news reporting in authoritarian regimes.
The impact of audience analytics on news content and presentation.
Investigating the implications of deepfake technology for journalistic integrity.
The role of local journalism in community engagement and development.
Analyzing the effects of journalism on public health awareness campaigns.
The impact of economic pressures on investigative journalism.
Investigating the challenges of reporting in a polarized political climate.
The role of media literacy in fostering critical thinking among audiences.
Analyzing the influence of celebrity journalism on cultural values.
The impact of cross-platform journalism on audience reach and engagement.
Investigating the effects of social media algorithms on news distribution.
The role of data journalism in enhancing transparency and public understanding.
Analyzing the impact of crowd-sourced journalism on news authenticity.
The challenges of balancing speed and accuracy in digital news reporting.
Investigating the role of international correspondents in the digital age.
The impact of public relations practices on journalistic independence.
Analyzing the representation of LGBTQ+ issues in mainstream journalism.
The role of journalism in addressing societal issues like homelessness and poverty.
Investigating the effects of editorial bias in shaping public perception.
The impact of journalism on political activism and social movements.
Analyzing the challenges of maintaining journalistic standards in entertainment reporting.

Recent Journalism-Related Studies

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual studies in the journalism space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of recent studies to help refine your thinking. These are actual studies, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

Imagination, Algorithms and News: Developing AI Literacy for Journalism (Deuze & Beckett, 2022)
Evaluation of the Effect of a Live Interview in Journalism Students on Salivary Stress Biomarkers and Conventional Stress Scales (Roca et al., 2022)
Professional and Personal Identity, Precarity and Discrimination in Global Arts Journalism (Sharp & Vodanovic, 2022)
The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on Journalism in the Digital Ara A Descriptive and Critical Approach (Chettah et al., 2022)
Women in Mass Communication (Creedon & Wackwitz, 2022)
Newsgames: Experiential Reality, Ludenic News Reading, Conflict of Purposes and Norms (Cengi̇z & Kaya, 2022)
Deep Journalism and DeepJournal V1.0: A Data-Driven Deep Learning Approach to Discover Parameters for Transportation (Ahmad et al., 2022)
A View From the Trenches: Interviews With Journalists About Reporting Science News (Anderson & Dudo, 2023)
Understanding Journalisms: From Information to Entertainment by Persuasion and Promotion (Bernier, 2022)
Role of educational institutions in promoting medical research and publications in Pakistan (Aslam, 2022)
Ethics for Journalists (Keeble, 2022)
“I Felt I Got to Know Everyone”: How News on Stage Combines Theatre and Journalism for a Live Audience (Adams & Cooper, 2022)
Newsafety: Infrastructures, Practices and Consequences (Westlund et al., 2022)
The Golden Age of American Journalism (Alent’eva et al., 2022)
Advancing a Radical Audience Turn in Journalism. Fundamental Dilemmas for Journalism Studies (Swart et al., 2022)
Mcluhan’s Theories and Convergence of Online and Papers’ Newsrooms (Barceló-Sánchez et al., 2022)
Scientific communication after the COVID-19 crisis: TikTok publishing strategies on the transmedia board (Neira et al., 2023)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest. In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

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180 Powerful Journalism Research Topics To Focus On

Table of Contents

Finding a unique journalism research topic is one of the tricky tasks that require a lot of innovation. If you are a student who is pursuing a degree in communication or media studies, then you will often be asked to write essays or research papers on interesting journalism topics. Right now, do you want to write an informative journalism research paper? Are you searching for the best journalism research topics? Go through this blog post and get the top powerful journalism research topics and ideas that will help you boost your grades.

Tips for Selecting a Good Journalism Research Topic

Journalism is a broad field of study that mainly deals with the gathering and distribution of information to various media channels such as radio, TV, newspaper, and social media. In order to complete graduation, mainly, as a part of the final year academic project, the students who are pursuing media studies must submit a research paper or thesis on journalism topics.

When you are assigned a task to prepare a journalism research paper, topic selection is the first step that you can’t skip. Remember, you can impress your professor and score high grades only if you have a unique topic.

In general, there are endless unique journalism research topics and ideas available, but the real challenge lies in identifying one specific journalism topic out of them all. Hence, to help you all, here we have shared a few important tips that you can follow during the topic selection.

The topic you choose should match your interest.
The topic should be exciting and informative for the readers.
Avoid choosing too broad topics because they may require a lot of time to complete.
If your topic is too broad, narrow it down to a specific research question that is easy to write about before the deadline.
Instead of picking the frequently discussed research topics, go with the topic that focuses on unique issues that are fresh for the readers to learn and understand.
The research topic you choose should support extensive research and contain relevant sources for reference.

Additionally, check whether the research topic you have selected stands in line with your professor’s instructions. Also, before finalizing the journalism research topic you have selected, make sure it satisfies all the above-mentioned tips. The journalism research topic is said to be good only if it meets the requirements shared above.

List of Journalism Research Paper Topics and Ideas

When it comes to writing a journalism research paper, you need to invest a lot of effort and time to search and find the best journalism research topic. Hence, to make your topic selection process easier, here, we have composed a list of exclusive journalism research topics and ideas.

Explore the complete list of ideas and pick a powerful journalism research topic of your preference.

Best Journalism Research Topics

How can journalists help the masses understand topical issues better?
What is the role of the media in reducing crime?
Discuss the negative implications of media in influencing violence.
What is the link between media and the growth of the fashion industry?
What is the subsequent impact of media on the growth of an economy?
Discuss the likely implications of partisan advertisement outlets.
What are your thoughts on denying an operational license to partisan media outlets?
Examine how media has impacted your living over the last ten years.
Elaborate on the potential beneficiaries of media versus society-influenced violence.
Investigate how the media industry has evolved because of technological advancement.
How has journalism contributed to political turmoil in Kenya?

Read more: Excellent Communication Research Topics To Consider

Excellent Journalism Research Paper Topics

How significant is the media in the war against crimes?
Use of mainstream media in strategic communication
How the media influence political patterns
Media use by kids and adolescents
How society benefits from a free media
Scare strategies that the media use to accomplish goals
How do the media influence immorality?
Do video games form a part of the media?
Media censorship and propaganda
How the media portrays popular culture and identity

Research Paper Topics in Mass Communication and Journalism

What are the benefits of international journalism ?
How effective are social media marketing campaigns
Explain how journalists altered the coverage of news relating to World War II.
Define media downshifting and discuss why people are reverting to newspapers again.
Discuss mass communication laws in the U.S.
Define journalism ethics and highlight its importance in news coverage.
Investigate why radio still commands a huge following.
Explain different types of media and differ according to the audience.
Investigate terrorism in media and highlight examples in the world today.
Highlight some relevant media disasters and explain how to prevent them.

Journalism Thesis Topics

How media houses benefit from advertising
Explain why video blogs are the new diaries.
How effective are media companies as compared to single bloggers with regard to news coverage?
Define fan fiction and fandom in the media.
Explain the critical attributes of communication.
Discuss the peculiarities of children’s media.
How do the media affect the political class in a country?
Key stakeholders of modern media
How the media influences the articulation of major social matters
How the media preempt situations

Unique Journalism Research Topics

Investigate how the government regulates the media.
What is the role of mass media in spreading awareness?
Explain how readers can confirm the truth and credibility of news articles.
Discuss the relevance of media in the growth of a steadfast country.
Explain how social media has impacted the reporting of police brutality cases.
What was the impact of mass media on the scope of the Vietnam War
Determine whether governments should have exclusive power to censor news reporters and journalists.
Elaborate on the main drawbacks facing journalism.
Discuss whether media outlets are responsible for the spread of unverified stories.
Analyze why media agencies should cease using metaphors in headlines.
Media psychology- How it applies to communication.
Explain the role of media in the growth of the music industry.
Analyze the influence of media on innovations.
Explain the implications of a one-sided media and why it might be dangerous to society.
Analyze the media violations of a person’s freedom and rights.
Investigate the Black Lives Matter movement and analyze the role of media in advancing it.
Examine how media affects the diminishing of traditions and culture.
Why is the press essential in spreading political rivalry among the political subject and class?
What role does mass media play in promoting learning activities?
Examine the role of mass media on the political class of America in the 18th century.

Investigative Journalism Research Topics

What is the role of transculturation in media translation
Discuss the objectification of women and its adverse psychological impacts.
Discuss whether politicians depend on media to retain their power.
Explain why mass media is more of a propaganda tool for the government.
Explain why the media should not include graphic images depicting violence or war brutality.
What are the historical development and cultural impact of media in the U.S.?
How some governments silence investigative journalists
An investigation into the key stakeholders of modern media houses.
How magazine covers are used to get more sales
How journalists can maintain high-quality reporting without necessarily spending more
What are the negative impacts of television advertisements on children?
How the media is helping call centers to create jobs and help the unemployed members of society.
Examine how the image of the Arab woman appears in Arab media.
How the media makes the USA look like the ultimate ruler
Conduct a comparative analysis of news reports between FOX and BBC News.
How mainstream media is promoting the upsurge of public misinformation and fake news
How influential politicians make key decisions for some media houses
What are the moral lines that separate investigative journalism from the violation of people’s privacy?
How the media is helping rebrand some countries- Case study of Nigeria.

Read more: Best Visual Analysis Essay Topics and Writing Guidelines for Students to Focus On

Interesting Journalism Thesis Topics

Examine some of the most significant anticipated changes to journalism in days to come
Is it true that the internet makes people read less about current events?
Elaborate on different ways by which mass media outlets benefit from advertisements and product promotions.
Discuss why it is not appropriate for celebrities and superstars to undergo trials by the media.
Define stylized writing and elaborate on whether it is acceptable in today’s internet-reliant world.
Discuss the critical negative influence mass media may have on students.
Elaborate why televisions need to stop showing sexual content.
Examine media and its influence in the articulation of social matters like racism.
Investigate the impact of new media on digital learning budgets.
Examine if journalism can seek the truth without breaking the journalism code.
What are the causes and impacts of media addiction
Discuss the effect of mass media on one’s emotional and psychological wellbeing.
Highlight how disabled people are represented by the media today
Discuss why we should trust the media to deliver accurate news.

Engaging Journalism Dissertation Topics

Discuss the representation of women journalists in the media fraternity.
Describe ways to regulate mass media to guarantee that students are only minimally exposed to inappropriate content
Discuss the reasons that make the United States of America considered a global superpower from media perspectives
The imperativeness of journalism for disadvantaged social groups
A Critical review of the methodological trends and controversies surrounding the Use of opinion poll
Critically analyze how the British journalists try to win over the royals
Homophobia in modern sports and the role of media channels in increasing such negativism Homophobia
Discuss the role of media in promoting same-sex marriage
Evaluate the role played by media in helping GenZ athletes to seek their ‘authentic voice’
Describe the impact of replacing sports journalism with mindless gossip columnists
What were the restrictions on journalists for covering the FIFA World Cup 2022?

Great Journalism Research Paper Topics

What is the effect of media on diplomacy
A case study of pollution as a social issue and the media’s role in combating it.
Investigate the impact of fear created by media reporting crimes.
Hidden messages are passed through the media.
Discuss the role of media as an agenda-setting tool.
Elaborate on the flaws representation of black women in media.
Discuss the use of women and their sexuality in mass media advertisements.
How media images represent different entities
Could virtual reality be the future of modern media?
Do the media create or react to events?
What moral distinctions exist between the invasion of privacy and investigative journalism?
Are journalists nowadays more focused on attractiveness than on delivering more accurate news?
Discuss the main issues that journalists face when performing their responsibilities.
What impact have advances in science and technology had on journalism?
What can journalists do to combat the idea that women are materialistic?

Captivating Journalism Research Ideas

Is it possible for the media to serve society’s underprivileged groups?
Describe how the American media presents adversaries and rivals from throughout the world
Does the internet really cause individuals to read less about current events?
Why has the internet changed the way news is reported?
Examine some of the key upcoming developments in journalism that are most anticipated.
Can journalists continue to report on high-quality stories without spending more?
Nigeria is a case study of how the media is assisting in the rebranding of some nations
How powerful politicians affect some media outlets’ ability to make important judgments
A description of the difficulties emerging nations face when it comes to information freedom
How sexual material is used on the front pages of health publications to draw readers
Does the media influence events or just report on them?
What impact does the internet have on how the media evolves?
Why is radio still a vital type of media in the twenty-first century?
Describe ways to control the media to limit the exposure of pupils to inappropriate information
Do powerful and influential big media firms have too much sway?
Do they have to be broken up into smaller pieces?

Latest Journalism Research Topics

Describe the Part of the Media in the Russia-Ukraine Crisis.
Discuss the popular media tactics of political parties in the United States
Consider the necessity for real-life tales in the media of today.
Write about literary journalism in recent times.
Investigative reporting on the Brazilian drug trade
Mass media censorship in North Korea
FIFA world cup 2022: restrictions on journalists for covering the event
Critical analysis of how the British journalists try to win over the royals
Describe the effects of media misdirection and misinformation.

The Bottom Line

From the list of outstanding journalism research topics and ideas suggested above, you can use any idea as an inspiration for writing a research paper. If you are not sure what topic to choose or how to write a journalism research paper, then take Public policy assignment help from us. We have a team of professional academic writers who have good knowledge of mass media and communication to craft a research paper on the best journalism topics.

Quickly avail of our writing service and get a top-quality, plagiarism-free research paper as per your requirements on time at an affordable rate.

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Journalism Research Topics: 120+ Ideas to Consider

Journalism is quite a broad industry that entails enumerating helpful information and showing it on different media channels, including television, social media, radio, and beyond.

For framing an outstanding research paper, your topic must enable your audience to focus on the key issues and make them keen to know more about your topic. However, finding the perfect topic isn’t easy.

Students often select their topic in haste and later realize that there needs to be more information or evidence to prove their hypothesis. Others get bored with their research after choosing a tedious journalism topic.

Journalism is an excellent subject that can open up many exciting ideas for students. However, this blog is genuinely written for you if you’re facing difficulty. Here are some unique journalism research topics you can use as inspiration.

Table of Contents

How to Choose Your Journalism Research Topic:

Finding a unique journalism topic is complex and requires extensive research and clever work. Generally, the internet is stuffed with thousands of journalism topics to write about, but the real struggle lies in identifying your “perfect” topic within that.

We have compiled a few suggestions that might help you create brilliant topics:

Students must refrain from any extravagantly broad topic, as it can be time-consuming and lead to confusion among students.
Choose a subject or topic that sparks your interest and curiosity level.
Students need to narrow their research into essential research questions.
Avoid providing a research paper based on goofy journalism topics to avoid misinterpretation or negative impact on your audience. Instead, ensure that your chosen topic will be informative for your readers.
Choose a novel topic that emphasizes distinct issues so readers can understand the fundamental research.

Thus, if you are about to research your journalism topic, ensure it stands in line with your university guidelines. Furthermore, ensure that your topic adheres to all the above-mentioned suggestions.

120+ Journalism Research Topics

As intended professional journalists, brilliant journalism ideas will always be welcomed and appreciated by your professors.

As mentioned, journalism is compiling, collecting, and assessing unique data and information on major on-going events. Along with writing on special journalism topics, one should also be open to writing about innovative discoveries about a pre-existing event.

We have thoroughly compiled a list of some contemplated journalism research topics that you can use as inspiration to get started with the writing business right away:

Journalism Research Topics for High School Students

Celebrities’ rights to privacy: How far should the paparazzi be allowed to infringe?
Examining the impact of racism in the media, both positive and negative
How do electronic media outlets influence journalism in the present era?
The influence of famous personalities on the independence of the media and journalists.
Challenges and opportunities for journalism in the 21st century
Impact of the media on diplomacy
Explain why it is inappropriate for famous people and idols to be subjected to media trials.
Why is radio still a crucial medium of communication in the twenty-first century?
Televisions must stop broadcasting sexual content.
Investigating journalism as a dangerous profession
Comment on the sexualization of women in media advertisements
Describe the effects of media misdirection and misinformation.
Describe ways to regulate mass media to guarantee that students are only minimally exposed to inappropriate content.
Why is the United States of America considered a global superpower?
The role of media outlets during the pandemic
Imperativeness of journalism for disadvantaged social groups
Is print media no longer necessary in the age of social media?
How has technology altered media

Brilliant Mass Communication and Journalism Research Topics

Read Also – 400+ Philosophy Research Paper Topics

The credibility of online journalism
The role of journalism in war zones
Current Changes in Journalism in the United States
Theoretical and methodological trends in journalism
The history of journalism
Journalism and the construction of police brutality
Media’s role in curbing corruption
Political women in media culture
A critical review of the methodological trends and controversies surrounding the use of opinion polls
Media’s role in exposing corrupted politicians
Government-sanctioned journalism in China
News workers, technology, and journalism history
Trends in fake news in the modern media space
Media censorship in China
The future of blogging and journalism in the United States
Critical analysis of how the British journalists try to win over the royals
Bridging media psychology and cognitive neuroscience

Sports Journalism Research Topics

Empirical research on racial discrimination in sports
The journey of a sportsperson: researching the importance of storytelling for sports persons
A qualitative investigation into the lives of sportswomen
Impact of sports journalism on the construction of “body image” in the mind of a younger generation
Homophobia in modern sports and the role of media channels in increasing such negativism
Ethics in sports journalism
Protecting brand through media and journalism channels
Trans journalist association for sports: opportunities and challenges
TVG Network in sports reporting
What happened to Adriano: investigating the Dark Story Behind the Retirement of “Next Door” Ronaldo
Evaluating media’s role in helping GenZ athletes to seek their “authentic voice.”
The challenges of sports media during Covid19 outbreak
The part of sports journalism in entertaining the masses
Richie Benaud, the voice of cricket and an influential broadcaster
James Hird’s suspected drug overdose: invasive reporting violates the right to privacy
Sports journalism as strategic sports marketing
The dangers of sports journalism
FIFA world cup 2022: restrictions on journalists for covering the event
The harsh truth of replacing sports journalism with “mindless gossip columnists.”

Investigative Journalism and Media Topics for Research

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Examining the impact of television advertising on the moral behaviors of young minds
Representation of Muslim women and Islam by journalists
The evolution of the media in the United States
Sports journalism: Why is it challenging for sports journalists to succeed in sports broadcasting?
Compare and contrast FOX and BBC news reports.
Countering the false image of Arab women in the Arab media
The influence of print media on the advancement of pop culture
Transculturation in media translation
Why do celebrity rumors frequently dominate media outlets as opposed to important news?
The life and works of Eric Eyre
Justify the lack of explicit depictions of atrocity in the media.
Describe why the Government primarily uses the media as a propaganda tool.
Examine whether politicians rely on the media to maintain their power.
A critical analysis of freedom and the press.
Money has corrupted the media: an overview.
The life and works of Dean Banquet
The correlation of media and Government
Media bias in investigative journalism

Electronic Media Topics for Research

Media Education in the Age of Disruptive Media
Evaluating the future of broadcasting from a global perspective
The internet explosion
Is print media dead?
Broadcasting in the era of electronic media
Communication through electronic media platforms
Analyzing the role of electronic media channels in shaping modern-day journalism
The impact of electronic media on social behavior

Journalism Topics Straight From the Experts

Describe the effects of biased journalism and why it could harm society.
An in-depth look at international journalism
Compare and contrast the Obama and Trump administrations’ treatment of the media.
Research the “Black Lives Matter” movement and examine how the media contributed to its growth.
The connection between politics and the media: Are there any media organizations that are politically apolitical?
Does media coverage of conflict have any beneficial or adverse effects?
Understanding journalism as a dangerous profession
The influence of journalism and its impact on army operations
Mass media censorship in North Korea
Crisis of Credibility in Journalism and the Media in an Era of Radical Nationalism
The business of journalism: fake news, but real money!
How media channels are spreading hatred and violence
Investigative reporting on the Brazilian drug trade

Literary Journalism Topics to Write About

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Literary journalism in the twentieth century
Employing metaphors in headlines.
Justify the need for social media platforms to outlaw fake news.
Are American enemies treated correctly by the media?
How has journalism been affected by scientific and technological advances?
American literary journalism
Literary journalism and the drama of civic life
Understanding the rise of literary journalism in the eighteenth century
Researching Tesla’s unique business model
The evolving ethics of journalism in the 21st century
Consider the necessity for real-life tales in the media of today.
A theoretical analysis of the theory of the social responsibility of journalism
Communication theory in journalism: are journalists the new peacekeeping force?

Political Journalism and Mass Media Topics for Research

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Propaganda in the mass media
Understanding the psychology of media and politics
Evaluating the credibility of public media organizations
New complexities and practices in political journalism
Popular political media tactics of political parties in the United States
Can the media influence election outcomes?
Investigations into the lives of prominent American politicians
Political scandals cause media introspection.
Evaluating the impact of politics on mass media
The politics of public journalism

Unique Journalism Research Topics

Look into the Government’s media regulation policies.
Examining the media’s role in eradicating poverty
Describe how readers may verify the accuracy and reliability of news reports.
Part of the Media in the Russia-Ukraine Crisis
How did the Vietnam War’s coverage in the media change over time?
The authoritarian theory of the press
Describe the fundamental problems that journalism faces.
Examines the question of whether media outlets are to blame for the dissemination of dubious news.
Comprehending the media’s role in eradicating illiteracy rates in developing and under-developed nations
Contributions and the roles of journalists in COVID-19 pandemic management
Transculturation’s significance in media translation
Investigation into famous American politicians

Winding Up!!

Know that each research topic mentioned above has been carefully selected to help you with your research.

We understand coming up with the best topic will be something other than a walk in the park. It would be a challenging journey, mainly because no amount of diligent work can fully guarantee your expected results.

The above topics will allow you to efficiently conduct extensive research, interviews, and other practical methods of collecting relevant data for your research. Last but not least, remember this is your one shot, so give it your best effort. Good luck with your future endeavors!

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Top 140+ Research Topics for Journalism Students

An Introduction to Journalism

Journalism is the form of communication in which a journalist communicates with the audience in different modes and makes people aware of what is happening around the world.

There are different modes in which a journalist can establish communication with the audience:

Based on the Medium of Delivery, There are Three Types of Journalism:

Cyber, Online, and Digital
Print Journalism
Broadcast, TV, and Radio Communication

The above listed are a few mediums in which a communicator or a journalist can spread awareness amongst the audience/viewers. All these mentioned mediums have their own space and significance.

Cyber/online/digital modes of communication are the newly invented medium of journalism as this medium can connect several audiences of all ages and communities and it covers a larger range than any other medium of journalism. This has become more compliant for a large number of audiences due to the availability of good internet and easy accessibility.
The second medium is print journalism which is the oldest and the traditional medium of journalism. Newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, etc are gradually losing their value though they are still delivering good and informational content this is because the information available on the internet is more viable than that of print journalism hence this medium is losing its significance gradually.
The third medium of journalism is television and radio which is the most popular and interesting way of delivering a message to the audience. This is becoming popular as it offers both visual and audio characteristics to the content.

How to Choose Powerful Research Topics for Journalism to Write?

Before choosing a powerful research topic for journalism to write, one must find out their interest in a particular type of journalism.

As your interest will refine your knowledge in a particular niche of journalism and you will be able to choose and write a good research topic of journalism.

So here in the next step, we are describing all the types of journalism read them thoroughly then understand the task of a journalist related to these different kinds of fields of journalism then find out which type of journalism suits your temperament the most then select the topic accordingly and then you will be able to write a really good and powerful research paper of journalism.

According to the nature of the content, the news is of two types- Hard news and Soft news , and according to the nature of news, journalism has many categories and sub-categories.

Here are the Top 8 Most Popular Types of Journalisms:

Political Journalism

This niche provides hard news content. So a journalist having an interest in this niche must have a good knowledge of both international and national politics. And he/she must enhance this knowledge on daily basis by adding on more crucial information.

Along with this, political journalism requires a great amount of awareness about the political events and entities every step taken by the politician should be in count of a political journalist. Political journalism is a good niche to be chosen as one may get subjective but as its content is hard a journalist must be careful while presenting any political as it may hurt someone’s emotions.

Investigative Journalism

This niche of journalism requires a lot of patience, persistence, and perseverance. The content of this niche is also hard as it is hard to investigate and display what you being a journalist have investigated. Investigative journalism provides journalists with the scope to investigate any case on their behalf and to reveal the truth.

Hence maintaining persistency in this niche is difficult as it is hard to stand by the truth. But one must always remember that revealing the truth is the sole purpose of investigative journalism.

Crime Journalism

The content of this journalism also falls in the category of hard news. As it is hard to talk with a criminal face to face. In this niche of journalism, the major role of the journalist is to reveal the crime that has been accidentally or deliberately committed by some person or by an organization, the crime could be any like rape, murder, manipulation, etc.

So, in this case, it becomes important for a journalist to be unbiased as the final decision would be that of the court and the court only will declare a suspect if h/she is a criminal or not. And making prejudice by journalists could not work in this field.

Business Journalism:

The content of business journalism could be both hard and soft. The main purpose of the business journalist is to interlink a country's economy with the business of the particular country and make a concept and then run this content as a piece of news on television or radio or to write as an article in the newspaper. The business news mainly involves updates from the stock market, the central bank of the country, and how they will impact the country’s economy.

Arts Journalism:

Arts journalism has soft news content as it deals in all forms of art like music, craft, dance, literature, painting, architecture, etc. Art has always been a subject of softness and symbolizes the contemporary feel of a particular era or time.

It promotes peace and happiness so this field of journalism becomes the most important field of journalism to promote peace and integrity there should be an existence of good art and creativity. A journalist working in this niche basically makes the audience aware of new and old forms of art and their significance.

Celebrity Journalism:

This niche is definitely a good choice for those who have an interest in movies and the lifestyle of actors. The word paparazzi is becoming popular these days as paparazzi are those journalists who cover everything about an actor and trace all his/her movements. In this camera-specific world, everyone has an eye on the latest fashion trend and the outfit worn by his/her favorite actor and actress, and the number of these such kind viewers is increasing day by day. So in this contemporary world, the demand for celebrity journalists is increasing to make people aware of their favorite stars’ activities and the clothing trend they are following.

Sports Journalism:

Sports journalism is a very enthusiastic niche, it is especially for those who are inclined towards sports and games. The niche perfectly suits the temperament of those people who have an interest in outings and sports and willing to cover all the sports events by watching them. Sports writing is not that difficult it just requires a good amount of knowledge of a particular sport or a game to give his/ her own opinion while discussing it on television or writing an article on that.

Tour/Travel Journalism:

A soft news niche requires lots of research on travels and tours the journalists connecting with this niche basically suggest to the viewers a good place to visit and the reason why a person should visit a particular place they also suggest some really good food to taste at a particular destination. The main work of the journalist in this field is to make people aware of destinations that are within budget and a way to reach there easily. This kind of journalism requires a good amount of energy as exploring something is not that easy.

Every field of journalism has different characteristics but all these niches stand on the pillars of truth. Whatsoever you choose as a journalist to write about, your sole purpose should be one is to show what is true.

Here are the Most Popular and Powerful 140+ Research Topics for Journalism:

Now as you are familiar with all the types of journalism, we expect that you have already found your interest in one of these types. As you are ready with your interest you can find some really important research topics for journalism to write. Some topics suggested by us are mentioned below:

A List of 40 Excellent Journalism Research Paper Topics

What is Fandom in Media?
Does the Media Lit the Fire of Riots?
Is the Media More Inclined Towards Making Trp?
The monopoly of Few News Channels.
Does the Party in Power Regulate the Media?
The Role of Media in International Politics.
Media Gives Prejudgment.
Is Media Still With Truth or With Power?
How to Make Your Article More Credible?
Can the Media Make a Police Cop’s Image?
Media Headlines Ended With an Unquestionable Question Mark. Explain.
Does Media Violate the Privacy of a Person?
Media Chooses a Political Topic to Debate.
The Role of Media at the Time of Elections.
How Does the Media Promote the New Schemes of Government?
What is the Status of Media in Different Countries?
Does Media Help a Person in Taking His/her Rights Back?
Status of Media in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
The Role Played by Media in the Ongoing War Between Ukraine and Russia.
Media Psychology.
Status of an Investigative Journalist in Today’s World.
How the Magazines' Covers Are Important for the Media to Get More Sales?
How Can Journalists Produce High-quality News Without Spending So Much Time on It?
Is the USA the Only Powerful State in the Whole World? What is the Media’s Opinion?
Is Media Conservative in a Few Countries?
Why Should There Be Trust in the Media?
Is the Media Focused on the Environment?
Fear Created by Media While Showing a Criminal.
Does Media Spoil the Image of a Person?
Media Has Magic of Voice.
Hidden Messages Media Gets.
Is Media Also Becoming a Clothing Brand?
Nowadays Media is More Focused on Style Rather Than Delivering Accurate News.
Problems Faced by Journalists Working on-field.
Journalists Sometimes Become the Victim of Mob Lynching.
Is Journalism a Safe Field to Work in?
Are People Really Interested in Watching the News on Television Even if They Have Social Media?
Which is More Authentic Traditional Media or Social Media?
Is Media Working Like a Court?
Are the Journalists Nowadays Becoming Judges?

List of 18 Unique Journalism Research Topics

Is Media a Voice for Underprivileged People Also?
Is Media Confined Only to the Upper-class People of the Society?
Does the Class System Sway the Media Also?
Inappropriate Information Spread by Social Media.
Investigative Journalism Creates a Hindrance to Privacy.
How Media Use Images to Make the News More Colorful?
Using Pictures or Images Good for an Article?
Who Are the Key Stakeholders of Modern Media?
Does Media Create an Impact on the Country’s Economy?
Can the Media Help Police Find a Criminal?
Why Do People Revert to Newspapers Again and Prevent Watching News Channels on Television?
Is Society Benefitted From Free Media?
Media Fights a War Against Crime?
Influence of Media on Human Life.
How Dangerous is the Work of a Journalist?
Journalists Became the Victim of the Corona.
What Are the Few Characteristics of a Professional Journalist?
How to Choose the Right Title for an Arti

Conclusion:

Those mentioned above were a few topics that are suggested by us and could be chosen by you to write an effective research paper for journalism. But before writing select a topic and do research on it and then make some bulleted points to highlight and then start writing. Remember, truth should not be missed from your research and your point of view should also be added to your research paper. These two points will make your research paper more interesting for the reader as well as for the checker. So choose the topic, do research, pick the pen and start writing choose the most appropriate shade of word to make your research paper more colorful.

Some More Related Resources:

120 Hot Research Topics for Nursing Students
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A Thorough Analysis of Market Research
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Mental Health Research Topics for Students in 2022
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Fresh and Unique Journalism Topics

Do you want to spend your time researching and writing about something unique in the journalism field? If yes, work with one of the ideas presented by these journalism topics for students.

A journalist should be well-versed in different topics about local and international news- Explain
Explain how the role of professional is seen in the media
Are modern journalists more inclined towards glamour instead of providing better authentic news?
How has COVID-19 revealed about the role of journalists at a global level?
Have journalists played any role in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic?
How does the media facilitate the stereotypical representations of females by portraying them as materialistic objects?
Discuss how influential people control the freedom of journalists and the media
Discuss the major problems that are experienced by journalists as they discharge their duties
How have technological and scientific developments affected journalism?
How has social media affected modern journalism?
Are social media websites making third-persons journalists?
What are the duties and roles of a professional journalist?
How can journalists change the perception of women as being materialistic?
Can journalism be used to help improve marginalized sections in society?
How can journalists help the masses understand topical issues better?
How are electronic media channels shaping modern-day journalism?
Is social media making print media obsolete?
How has technology affected the mediums that journalists used to reach people?
How do high-profile personalities interfere with the freedom of journalists and the media?
Explain the challenges that journalists in varying topographical situations face every day.

This category has some of the best literary journalism topics to research and then write about. However, students should be ready to conduct in-depth research before they start writing. They should introduce new information that readers will find interesting.

Investigative Journalism Topics

This category comprises journalism research paper topics that allow the author to investigate an issue deeply. When writing a paper or essay on these ideas, students must identify visual arguments, research about the issues or problems, and then draw conclusions based on their findings. Here are examples of investigative research topics in mass communication and journalism.

How politicians in developing countries continue to lure the masses with vague promises about the education systems and job creation.
How the media is helping call centers to create jobs and help the unemployed members of society.
Politicians no longer have the ideological drive- A keen look into how political parties market their ideas
Can the negative global image of Pakistan/Iraq/Afghanistan be improved? How the mass media fosters stereotypes and establish images
How the media makes the USA look like the ultimate ruler
How corruption has become synonymous with modern politics
A critical analysis of how the UPA government functions
The Italian roots of Sonia Gandhi
How mainstream media is promoting the upsurge of public misinformation and fake news
How journalists can maintain high-quality reporting without necessarily spending more
How the media is helping rebrand some countries- Case study of Nigeria
How influential politicians make key decisions for some media houses
An assessment of the challenges facing information freedom in developing countries
How the front covers for health magazines use sexual content to attract readers
How magazine covers are used to get more sales
What are moral lines that separate investigative journalism from the violation of people’s privacy?
An investigation into the key stakeholders of modern media houses
How the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to affect the Chinese economy
How the government continues to censor the media
How some governments silence investigative journalists

Some of these topics are also great for debates and speeches. However, extensive research is required to come up with quality and relevant content that readers will find interesting.

Interesting Journalism Thesis Topics

Journalism studies require learners to choose considerate topics that allow them an easy time to research and write quality papers. Essentially, students should enjoy working on their topics. Here are some of the most interesting thesis topics for journalism students.

How significant is the media in the war against crimes?
A look into democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression
Media use by kids and adolescents
Technology versus modern media
How the media influence political patterns
Use of media and subsequent effects
How the media portrays popular culture and identity
Use of mainstream media in strategic communication
Media censorship and propaganda
Media psychology- How it applies to communication
Mainstream media versus art-house
How the media affects a country’s socio-economic dimension
Do video games form a part of the media?
How the media influences violence
Influence of the media on socio-economic sanity
Scare strategies that the media use to accomplish goals
A qualitative evaluation of modern media outlets
Mass media implications to the ethical well-being of a society
How the media influences immorality
How society benefits from a free media

These topics to consider when writing a journalism thesis. That’s because most students will enjoy researching and writing about them. What’s more, most people will enjoy reading papers on these topics.

Great Journalism Essay Topics

Many students struggle to choose topics when it comes to journalistic essay writing. But, this shouldn’t be the case because there are many ideas that learners can explore. Here are some of the ideas that you can explore when asked to write a journalism essay.

The role of mass media in society
Who is a good mass media personality?
What is the effect of mass media on the economy?
How media houses benefit from advertising
Modern society can’t do without mass media
Influence of mass media on technological advancements
How the media influences rivalry in politics
How the media affects the political class in a country
How important are reliable advertisements to the media
How does the media spread awareness?
What makes reliable media?
How does partisan media affect society?
What makes a non-partisan media?
How media violence can lead to social violence
Key stakeholders of modern media
How does a society benefit from the media
How the media has evolved over the years
How the media influences the articulation of major social matters
How media addiction affects the economy
How the media pre-empt situations

Good Journalism Topics for Students in High School

High school students and those joining colleges are sometimes asked to write essays on their preferred topics. Those interested in mass media studies can opt to write about journalism. Here are great journalism topics for high school to consider.

How media can foster education
Hidden messages that are passed through the media
How media images represent different entities
Why radio remains popular
The Disney phenomenon- New mythology or the media?
Types and styles of media
How politics and media are intertwined
Could virtual reality be the future of modern media?
Does the media create or react to events?
How does the internet influence the development of the media?
Media regulation and policy in different countries
What is a media campaign?
What is an international journalism
Role of the media during wartime
Does the media enhance or prevent panic during disasters?
Does the media censor or promote controversial topics?
Origin of the media
How speech freedom impacts the media
What are the main aspects of the media?
How the media use the hype phenomenon

Students have many journalism thesis ideas to consider. However, every learner should be keen to pick a narrow and interesting idea to explore when researching and writing an essay or dissertation on journalism. If you need assistance, hire our paper writer and get assistance today.

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Expert Commentary

Using academic research to do investigative journalism: 5 tips from our webinar

For those who couldn't attend our recent training, here are some of the tips Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Neil Bedi, criminologist Rachel Lovell and I shared.

investigative journalism academic research

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by Denise-Marie Ordway, The Journalist's Resource January 6, 2023

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If more journalists incorporated academic research into their investigative reporting process, they might have been able to alert the world about the Mpox outbreak sooner. For years, researchers studying the virus, formerly known as monkeypox, had been noting its spread in parts of the world in studies published in scholarly journals.

Academic research is a crucial tool for investigating societal problems and holding the powerful accountable. On Dec. 15, The Journalist’s Resource held a one-hour training to explain how consulting academic studies and collaborating with researchers can strengthen news coverage and aid journalists at each stage of the investigative reporting process.

Those who attended the webinar left with practical tips and insights from Neil Bedi , a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter at ProPublica, and Rachel Lovell , a criminologist at Cleveland State University who advocates for and has participated in reporter-researcher collaborations .

I shared some of my own tips for working around common challenges reporters face in incorporating peer-reviewed research — the gold standard in academia — into their work.

If you didn’t get a chance to attend the training, or want a refresher, please watch our recording. Below, I’ve spotlighted five of my favorite tips from the event. Toward the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to several tip sheets on finding and interpreting academic research.

1. Before beginning an investigative project, or in the early stages of one, seek out academic research and researchers to get a broad overview of what’s known and unknown about an issue or problem.

“At the start of any investigation, you are typically not the expert on the topic you’re looking into,” Bedi said. “Often, you might be coming at the topic completely fresh. But there are people who have been researching and looking into these topics for years as a living. And so, if you learn to tap into these people and their work early, you can get pretty good at building a foundation of sourcing, a foundation of your own expertise, through interviews, through reading their work. And that’s important because any time you’re going to do an investigation, you kind of need that expertise because you’re about to say something usually damning or negative about something and you need to know your stuff.”

Lovell noted that reporters and researchers often have the same types of questions about an issue or problem. Because researchers often have already started trying to answer those questions, they can help journalists track down data and other information.

“Especially for these big policy-type [projects], you really need a researcher to help you understand,” she said. “Talking to the individuals who are also asking similar questions I think is an important way to contribute to this, to the conversation. And [researchers] often use data, but in different ways. Researchers tend to be able to know where to find the data to answer those questions or have done their own stuff and/or can help point a reporter toward where to start looking for or where data might exist to answer some of the questions that they’re interested in.”

2. Once you’ve found relevant research and data, ask researchers for help interpreting and explaining that information in plain language. Don’t be afraid to ask a researcher to read a key document or review your data analysis and give feedback.

Researchers are passionate about their area of expertise and want the public to have correct information, Lovell said. Many would be willing to help a journalist beyond answering some questions or sharing a journal article.

Lovell suggested journalists take steps to establish trust, considering researchers usually are unfamiliar with the journalistic process and many have had negative experiences with journalists — or know someone who has. Journalists should explain what they mean when they use terms such as “on the record” and “off the record,” and whether the researcher helping them will be cited in their news stories.

Lovell said researchers might ask to review a portion of the coverage or provide input in some other way.

“If a researcher wants to go on record, sometimes it just feels better to be able to have that last ability to look at exactly how the reporter or the journalist is writing up the thing – just to kind of give [feedback] like ‘OK, you got this right’ or ‘It’s not quite right. Change the wording a little bit here and then it’s a correct interpretation of our research,’” she said.

Newsrooms typically prohibit reporters from sharing drafts of stories. But there are other ways researchers can help journalists double-check their work. For instance, journalists can read quotes back to their sources. Some news outlets, under certain circumstances, may allow researchers to read specific passages of a news story or review a statistical analysis to ensure accuracy.

3. If an agency you’re investigating is relying on a specific study or group of studies to guide its actions, find that research and make sure you understand it.

Government agencies and other organizations often rely on academic research to help guide their decisions. But research findings can be misunderstood and misapplied.

That’s why journalists need to confirm whether the research an agency has consulted says what the agency says it does.

“If you’re a reporter, if you’re working on an investigation, you should second-guess everything and that includes the research itself,” Bedi said.

In 2021, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his investigation into a predictive policing program that a county sheriff’s office in Florida used to harass residents and profile schoolchildren. Law enforcement officials told Bedi and the Tampa Bay Times reporter who worked with him on the series, Kathleen McGrory , that the project was based on research suggesting youth who experience childhood trauma are more likely to commit violent crimes later in life.

Bedi and McGrory contacted criminal justice scholars, who confirmed the sheriff’s office had misinterpreted the research. Renowned criminologist David Kennedy told them making predictions about someone’s future behavior based on childhood experiences “ flies in the face of the science .”

Researchers’ responses to the sheriff’s office program became a major component of the investigative series.

“As we started calling these researchers, who [sheriff’s office officials] were citing over and over and over again, they were saying, ‘What do you mean my work is being used this way? That’s a terrible program. My work should never be used this way. They are going way off of our conclusions and creating a program that is harassing children,’” Bedi said. “I think one researcher equated it to child abuse.”

4. Don’t ignore studies just because they rely on older data. Ask the authors to explain whether and why their findings are or aren’t still relevant.

There are lots of reasons the data in journal articles can seem outdated to a daily news reporter. For one, some types of information can take years to collect. Even after a paper is finished, it can take months to a year or more for it to complete the peer-review process and get published in an academic journal.

By the time a journalist reads a study, the data and statistics in it can be several years old, prompting questions about whether the research is “too old” and its findings remain relevant.

My advice: Reach out to the study’s authors — or other scholars in the same field — and ask them those questions They can explain whether the trends and patterns they discovered likely still exist today. They can also discuss how any major events occurring after the data was first collected could influence those trends and patterns. Such context is probably worth including in your coverage.

Lovell noted that some data doesn’t change much over time. In that case, “having data that’s a couple years old isn’t changing your findings really in any meaningful way,” she added.

Journalists might need to help newsroom editors who are opposed to relying on older data understand that.

“I would just push back and say, ‘Is there a logical reason to think that data from a couple years ago, that the pattern no longer holds now?’ she said.

5. No matter how broad or narrow the subject you’re investigating, remember that researchers somewhere have probably been studying it for years.

“I can say with almost 100% certainty that whatever the topic is going to be, especially as it relates to like policy work and investigative journalism, that there is a researcher out there who is studying that topic,” Lovell said.

Bedi said he typically begins searching for researchers by reading studies that examine the issue he’s interested in.

“I’ll go in and start reading academic papers even if half of it is completely confusing to me and doesn’t make any sense,” he told webinar attendees. “You should make it part of your process to try to read the papers, understand what you can understand and notice the authors on the papers. If you find papers that seem very relevant, start building a list of the authors on those papers. Reach out to them. Talk to the ones who are willing to talk.”

Both Bedi and Lovell suggested reaching out via email first. Bedi said he typically asks the researchers he contacts to recommend other experts who might be helpful.

He stressed that finding the right researcher or researchers can take time. And once you find them, you’ll want to cultivate that relationship over the course of your investigation.

“If this is a months-long investigation, you don’t make it just one phone call and then never talk to them again,” he said. “It is a process. Early on, you are learning a lot about a topic and you are asking them to explain complicated things as if you were 5 years old — because that is important and you need that as journalists, because you’re going to have to explain it to your readers who know nothing about this topic. But then, as you begin to hit difficult questions that they’ve probably hit and you’re going really deep into this investigative reporting process, you’re reaching back out to them to start discussing stuff that they love talking about. And [through] those conversations over time, you build a really good relationship with these people.”

Related resources

For even more pointers from Bedi, read our article about his award-winning investigative series “Targeted,” which uncovered a predictive policing project that law enforcement officials in Florida used to harass residents and profile schoolchildren.

Lovell offers additional tips in this Q&A , in which JR’s senior economics editor, Clark Merrefield, asked her about a collaborative partnership she formed with Rachel Dissell, then a reporter at the Plain Dealer, that revealed how and why rape kits were going untested in Cleveland.

Please check out the “ Know Your Research ” section of our website. We’ve created a host of tip sheets to help you find, interpret and explain academic research, including these:

How to tell good research from flawed research: 13 questions journalists should ask
7 ways journalists can access academic research for free
5 common research designs: A quick primer for journalists
What’s peer review? 5 things you should know before covering research
White papers, working papers, preprints, journal articles: What’s the difference?
5 things journalists need to know about statistical significance

About The Author

Denise-Marie Ordway

Journalism Research Paper Topics

Advocacy Journalism
Alternative Journalism
Broadcast Journalism
Celebrity Journalists
Citizen Journalism
Credibility of Journalists
Cross-Media Production
Embedded Journalists
Ethics in Journalism
Ethnic Journalism
Foreign Correspondents
Gatekeeping
Gender and Journalism

History of Journalism

Interpretive Journalism
Interview as Journalistic Form
Investigative Reporting
Journalism and Group Dynamics
Journalism Education
Journalists’ Role Perception
Minority Journalism
New Journalism
News Agencies
News Cycles
News Ideologies
News Routines
News Sources
News Workers
Newspaper Journalism
Normative Theories of Journalism
Online Journalism
Partisan Press
Peace Journalism
Political Journalists
Precision Journalism
Press Conference
Printer-Editors
Professional Journalists’ Associations
Professionalization of Journalism
Public Journalism
Science Journalism
Standards of News
Telegraphic News
Violence against Journalists
War Correspondents
Yellow Journalism

Journalism is a modern-era phenomenon that began its separation from ordinary communication first with correspondence in the form of newsletters sent out in multiple copies to existing social networks.

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Newsletter authors also required some facility to produce more than one copy and to distribute the result, as well as sufficient social status to make their activity appear to have value for recipients. With the advent of the printing press some early newssheets imitated hand-made newsletters, but the primary model for all printing was the book as printer-editors incorporated the sharing of new intelligences into their line of business.

The main claim to distinction for journalism has come through a close alliance with political life. Politics impinged on printing from the beginning in the form of government controls, and printing itself quickly became a political act of either cooperation with or defiance of the powerful, or the state. Journalism developed at the nexus of negotiating boundaries to demarcate private life, civil society (or the market), and the state from each other, and in some perspectives that zone became a special or sacred space. It was a short step then for the emerging press to become enmeshed in politics, an alliance of two initially and perhaps continually unsavory activities, an irony often lost on practitioners and scholars. The nineteenth century turned newspapers into the central node of news as an economic activity.

Differentiation among Journalists

Although fiction writing occasionally imitates news, journalism differs fundamentally in practice.

Separating the occupation of journalist from author is one marker of a project under way by the early twentieth century to make journalism into a particular kind of profession. Other markers include the emergence of acceptable practices, training programs, associations, and codes of ethics. In many parts of the world, journalism remained part of and firmly aligned with literary work, and even in nations where the professional project predominated, such as the United States, movements of long-form and literary journalism arose.

From its birth in the industrialized newsroom, journalism developed customary patterns for all aspects of work. The best-known example is the ‘beat,’ combining location and process so that a reporter goes through a set of routines to gather information from predictable and reliable places. As an occupational category, journalism in the nineteenth century merged several tasks: principally those of the ‘editor,’ who managed some aspect of content from a central office, the ‘correspondent,’ who ventured out as a worldly traveler and (perhaps imperial) observer of affairs, and various forms of ‘news hound,’ who did piecework as local scavengers to fill the editorial hole by the inch, pursuing a particular topic or venue such as crime or the docks. As journalism emerged as a professional project, specialization produced new bundles of tasks.

The production of news content has become more portable across traditional print and broadcast media as the tasks journalists perform converge on digital technology. The changes might point to multimedia journalism or instead to a de-skilling of practice as the tools shift from professionals’ into others’ hands. In many countries, citizens can now tell each other their own news by writing and distributing it electronically from home, a community center, library, or mobile device. During political crises in Africa and the Arab uprisings of 2011, citizen journalists appear to have contributed to movements against established political power.

Scholarly Study and Prospects

Alignments between industry and the academy for the purposes of job training helped shape journalism research. The first university journalism programs grew from the organized efforts of publishers and press associations to harness academic work to the project of making journalism respectable.

By the late 1940s, social science became the dominant paradigm for academic inquiry into journalism, organized generally around the concept of ‘mass communication.’ Humanities approaches fell behind, and studies employing quantitative methodology published in the journal of news media research, Journalism Quarterly, rose from 10 to 48 percent between 1937 and 1957. Earlier paradigms treated journalism as a powerful force in defining social problems, propagating government ideas, and fomenting public support, but the functionalist thinking among scholars at mid-century saw journalism as limited in its effects.

By the 1960s intellectual currents such as semiotics influenced thinking about journalism. Social scientists studied journalists’ autonomy from surrounding forces. By the 1970s fault lines emerged in the dominant social scientific paradigm after research found that greater effects could occur among distinct social groups than among general audiences, and that journalism had influence in setting priorities among political elites. In Britain cultural studies scholars analyzed journalism texts, and social critics described how capitalist ownership and shared values among media professionals helped support class domination. US sociologists examined news and conducted fieldwork among journalists.

In the early 1980s the communication discipline underwent a period of ferment, and journalism study moved along new vectors. Particularly in relation to political life, framing effects developed as a research approach. Under the emerging conditions of postmodernism, attention to news was declining among youth, and journalism as a professional project entered a conscious period of crisis. Industrial changes liberalized state-controlled media in some countries; cable, talk radio, and other alternatives to traditional news outlets proliferated in countries with commercial systems; and new populist media arose as tabloid journalism spread globally. Scholars of journalism engaged in political and economic critiques that examined the relationship of media organizations to centers of social control.

The ‘new journalism studies’ incorporated concepts of narrative, myth, ideology, and hegemony and engaged in professional critique, political and economic analysis, and sociological observation. The paradigm took institutional form in anthologies, new journals, and in the creation and rapid growth of a Journalism Studies Division in the International Communication Association (ICA).

References:

Allan, S. (ed.) (2010). The Routledge companion to news and journalism. London: Routledge. Anderson, P. J., Williams, M., & Ogola, G. (2013). The future of quality news journalism. A cross-continental analysis. London: Routledge.
Aouragh, M. & Alexander, A. (2011). The Egyptian experience: Sense and nonsense of the internet revolution, International Journal of Communication, 5, 1344 –1358.
Barnhurst, K. G. (2011). The problem of modern time in American journalism. KronoScope, 11(1–2), 98–123.
Barnhurst, K. G. & Nerone, J. (2001). The form of news: A history. New York: Guilford.
Chouliaraki, L. (2013). Re-mediation, inter-mediation, trans-mediation: The cosmopolitan trajectories of convergent journalism. Journalism Studies, 14(2), 267–283.
Deuze, M. (2010). Journalism and convergence culture. In S. Allan (ed.), The Routledge companion to news and journalism. London: Routledge, pp. 267–276.
Donsbach, W. (2010). Journalists and their professional identities. In S. Allan (ed), The Routledge companion to news and journalism. London: Routledge, pp. 38–48.
Etling, B., Kelly, J., Faris, R., & Palfrey, J. (2010). Mapping the Arabic blogosphere: Politics and dissent online. New Media and Society, 12(8), 1225–1243.
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Lewis, Seth C. (2012). The tension between professional control and open participation: Journalism and its boundaries. Information, Communication & Society, 15(6), 836–866.
Vujnovic, M., Singer, J. B., Paulussen, S., Heinonen, A., Reich, Z., Quandt, T., Hermida, A., & Domingo, D. (2010). Exploring the political-economic factors of participatory journalism: Views of online journalists in 10 countries. Journalism Practice, 4, 285–296.
Zelizer, B. (2004). Taking journalism seriously. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

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175 Journalism Topics And Excellent Writing Ideas

As a student of mass communication or journalism, you may need journalism research paper topics to fulfill your undergraduate degree requirements. As you already know, journalism involves profound investigative reports centered on an issue affecting the public. It’s all about public life, and this is why you may need different journalism thesis topics and ideas.

If you’re also a college student who needs good journalism topics to write your assignment or essay, there are numerous topics and ideas across different journalism categories in this content. See the following topics for journalism class that can inform your paper or project.

Investigative Journalism Topics

Investive journalism is that category of journalism that embeds profound investigation into a particular subject of interest. This could be political corruption, bank fraud, murder, and other serious crimes in society. These are journalism research topics that could help you develop brilliant ideas:

Investigate the role of the US government under Trump in the mismanagement and ignorance of the COVID-19 reality
Investigate the part of the radio and newspapers in spreading fake news in the 2020 US election
Investigate one of the biggest scams in the history of England
Examine the role of the Peaky Blinders gangster in the making of contemporary gangs
Account for the activities of the Yakuza gang in Japan within three decades
Report for the struggle of the Taliban and Afghanistan in the two-decade war
Examine the relativity of the Afghan War and the Vietnam War based on the U.S. involvement
Examine the fraud of US officials in the Iraq War
Investigate the complexities around US involvement in military and humanitarian aid in the Middle East
Assess the role of communist leaders in the creation of personality cult taking clues from Chairman Mao of China and Stalin of the USSR
The public believes that Afghan women will suffer in the Taliban government; however, some believe that it is peace and tranquility for the rural men and women who have been plagued by war. Investigate the bitter and sweet side of the war
Account for any child abuse scandal involving a government official in recent time in any country of your choice
Examine the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and relate it to the growth of the Ebola virus
Assess how governments violently quell peaceful protests in any country of your choice
Assess the cover-up of the Vatican in the sexual scandal of officials in the Holy Seal
Account for the influence of drug use in Mexico and how it influence or affect youths
Examine the shows with sexual appeal and how they affect the population
Give an account for the influence of extremity in the spread of the gospel of hatred in America
Study any corruption scandal of your choice and examine the fault of regulatory bodies
Give a comparative analysis of the 2008 economic crisis and the OPEC Oil Price Shock of 1973
Investigate the conspiracies in the government of Donald Trump
Investigate the bloody situation in Libya before Gaddafi’s death
Investigate the challenges facing India’s minority
Investigate the crisis in Turkey
Account for the political crisis between NATO-Ukraine and Russia

Journalism Topics for High School

You may have been asked to create journalism topics for your essay or contribute to your school’s magazine. There are different custom topics you could write about. You can consider these exciting and easy journalism topics:

An assessment of societal Influence of corruption and unaccountability
Assess the societal impact of the unaccountable judiciary in the US courts
What do you think about the role of the big five countries in rural community development?
What do you think the Biden Administration can do better about student loans and mortgages?
Assess the impact of mass media in reducing corruption
What do you know about drug abuse in the US, and how does it affect kids?
Evaluate how drama can be used to promote sensitization of sexual differences
Give an overview of how literature can be used to promote sexual orientation for high school kids
Why do you think your school needs a radio broadcast channel
What are your thoughts on unrestricted access to the internet for college students?
Do you think that social media is a good or bad innovation for society?
Assess how social media is responsible for depression and anxiety about beauty amongst youths
What do you believe are the impact of America Got Talent shows on kids
Because of social media, do you think mass media outlets like newspapers, televisions, and radios are no longer needed?
What do you understand about climate change and why everyone is scared?
What do you understand about Environmental changes and why everyone is scared?
Do you think women should take up top leadership roles anywhere in the world?
Do you think working from home is the best thing that could ever happen to working-class people?
What do you think makes a government legitimate according to your knowledge of Political Science, History, and Philosophy?
What do you think are the consequences of choosing entertainment above education and vice versa amongst youths
How can your school’s staff improve their relationship with students?
What are your ideas about humanitarian aid to Africa?
What do you think is the role of science and technology in the contemporary world?
Do you think high school students should have an intimate relationship too?
What do you believe is the most significant influence on youths and why?
What do you think about racism and Semitism in America?
What do you think about bullying in schools and the consequences of bullying on academic performance?
Do you think newspapers do an excellent job of promoting political sensitization?
Do you believe America is the best country in the world, and why?
Human and sex trafficking is the cruelest sin in the world: discuss
Assess the challenges of pregnancy
What do you think are the roles of women in Achieving gender equality in America?
Why do people idolize celebrities?
What do you think about the imprisonment of R Kelly?
Give a review of three songs by Rihanna.

Journalism Research Topics

Your professor may have asked you to develop good journalism research paper topics for your university degree requirements. There are different topics here that could guide you into choosing the perfect subject. Consider:

Analyze the failure of CNN in reporting unbiased news
Examine the importance of the media in advertising the need for economic development in rural communities
Assess the social media as the space to mobilize community support
Examine the significance of social media over the mass media like television, radio, and newspapers
Examine the campaign for sexual liberty in America
Examine the movement for gender equality in any Arab country of your choice
Examine the role of social media in the campaign for anti-racial sentiments
Account for the sexualizing of women in adverts
Account for president Trump’s innate desire to censor information in the media
Account for the role of journalists as gatekeepers in any free society
Account for the significance of international Journalist groups in protecting Journalists around the world
Examine America during the civil wars
Account for the sexual behaviors of porn addicts
What are the challenges facing three television Companies in the US?
Give an appraisal of Aljazeera and its news
Rationalize the death of Reuters’ Journalist, Danish Siddiqui, while in Afghanistan
Examine the consequences of the Trump administration on America’s domestic policies
Account for the consequences of Trump’s Administration on America’s foreign policy
Examine the effect of racial discrimination and employability in America
What is the role of America in developing ISIS?
Is America really the watchdog of the world?
Assess China and its rise to global dominance
Assess the significance of the Atlantic in world trade
Assess the political differences affecting Germany’s Nord Dam construction
Examine the need for entrepreneurs in America
Has capitalism favored the world so far?
Are Trump supporters patriotic or merely loyal to him?
Examine how education has promoted liberty in Afghanistan before US withdrawal
Assess for the role of journalist brands in reporting terrorism
What is the impact of the George Bush administration?
What are the impacts of the Obama administration on Libya politics
Assess the Israeli alliance with Saudi Arabia and the evil or good involved
Assess political or cultural propaganda of your choice
Account for the activities of any fraternity in a US campus
Consider Iraq’s needs for nuclear weapons as a balance of power or balance or threats

Literary Journalism Topics

As a form of nonfiction writing published in newspapers or magazines, it could cover interviews, research, or any other form of essay of your choice. If you’re required to choose controversial yet good journalism topics, you may want to consider:

Thoughts about Chimamanda Adichie’s “Danger of a Single Story” and how it could shape the literary scene
How fake news convince people about COVID-19 myths
The ethical challenges of journalism in any media company of your choice
The impact of photojournalists in the Afghan war
The scam in humanitarian intervention in any conflict of your choice
How French imperialism guides its role in French West African countries
The murder of Patrice Lumumba: thoughts on why America wants him dead
Philosophize on the brutality of King Leopold II.
How contestants arouse public sympathy in getting votes on America’s Got Talent
How pop culture ruin actual cultural developments
How journalism has evolved into business for financial gains
How journalism has evolved into a means of entertainment
Why does Aljazeera only tell sad, sad stories
Write a story about a mysterious heist of your choice
Attempt a short biography of Danish Siddiqui
Attempt a 7000 essay on everything about Vatican City and the politics
Document the invention of Isaac Newton and its Influence on technology
Lessons from the exploration of Amerigo Vespucci
Key points and lessons from Richard Nixon’s scandal
The mistakes of communism and capitalism in today’s world
What could be considered the impacts of Toni Morrison on literature?
Evaluate the works of Chinua Achebe in African literature
Evaluate the outcomes of Garcia Marquez in fiction and journalism
Opinions on the results of the Paris Review on literature
Opinions on the role of Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic in the media
Ideas on the death of democracy during Trump
A comparative analysis of presidents Trump and Richard Nixon
A comparative study of Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama
An overview of Trump’s economic policies
An overview of Trump’s businesses’ economic scandals

Research Topics in Mass Communication and Journalism Topics

As a journalism section that deals with exchanging information through the media, different topics can be developed to wow your professor. With interest in advertisement and dissemination of information, these are various journalism topics for you:

Embark on a comparative analysis of two media companies in the US
Account for the scandals of corruption in the practice of journalism
Assess the role of the media in the proceedings of Donald Trump’s impeachment
Report on the use of social media in triggering the White House protest on Trump’s behalf
Report on the use of Twitter during Trump’s Administration
What could be said to be good communication habits in Journalism?
Local newspapers and their usefulness in American public life
Has the use of radio negated modernity in America?
What are the challenges and prospects of smartphones during environmental disasters?
How has social media propagated the cancel culture?
How can the mass media be used for effective social change?
Drawing from the Watergate Scandal, what is the role of the mass media?
How do music choices influence the promotion of morality in traditional media?
Account for a radio show and its influence on the American public
Assess the consequences of airing extreme conservative ideas on radio
Social media and censorship: does it make sense?
How does the mass media contribute to racial disintegration?
Account for the radio show that promotes cultural diversity in America
Assess the subject of television addiction amongst youths
Evaluate the role of reporters and reporting highly sensitive cases
Identify how social media is wielded to propagate fake news
How Chairman Mao authored his propaganda with the media
The part of information dissemination before the Bolshevik Revolution
The role of the press in silencing threats in Russia
The thin line between truth and conspiracy in journalism

Middle School Journalism Topics

You may have been told to contribute to your school’s magazine or submit an essay in school. It would be best if you had easy and enjoyable journalism essay topics for your level. You can ask intriguing questions in your articles or essay through these journalism topics:

What are the powers you’ll execute if you have magical powers?
Who would you say are the best characters you’ve ever enjoyed?
What are your favorite movies, and why?
If you were an actor, which role would you never take?
Peer pressure and alcohol, do you think you can be influenced into social vices?
What are the campus secrets you think everyone should know about?
Review the last album of Beyonce
Review three songs of Kendrick Lamar and their Influence on the Black community
Review any book of your choice and its influence on people
Review any movie of your choice
Examine the need for active sport representations in school
Account for the need for Political student activists
Which of the school policies do you think must change?
If you’ll do anything to bullies, what would it be?
What are your thoughts about the foods in your cafeteria?
Would you attend a protest against the school authorities, and why?
Do you think everyone should like sports in school, and why?
Do you think school elections should be as competitive as senatorial or gubernatorial elections?
Do you think rivalries are suitable for school elections?
Who is your favorite philosopher, and why should everyone read Philosophy?
Which event of history should be told over and over again?
What are the achievements of your school’s basketball team?
What are the achievements of your school’s gymnastic team?
What are your opinions on Biden’s academic loans?
What are your opinions on racial diversity in classrooms?

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Using academic research to do investigative journalism: 5 tips from our webinar

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1. Before beginning an investigative project, or in the early stages of one, seek out academic research and researchers to get a broad overview of what’s known and unknown about an issue or problem.

2. Once you’ve found relevant research and data, ask researchers for help interpreting and explaining that information in plain language. Don’t be afraid to ask a researcher to read a key document or review your data analysis and give feedback.

3. If an agency you’re investigating is relying on a specific study or group of studies to guide its actions, find that research and make sure you understand it.

4. Don’t ignore studies just because they rely on older data. Ask the authors to explain whether and why their findings are or aren’t still relevant.

5. No matter how broad or narrow the subject you’re investigating, remember that researchers somewhere have probably been studying it for years.

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