Charting the development of a field: A systematic review of comparative studies of journalism

Abstract

Comparative studies of journalism have gained considerable currency in recent years, and are often considered to be at the cutting edge of journalism studies. Yet, there has been relatively little systematic examination of the growth of comparative journalism studies or in-depth analysis of the power relations within the field in relation to, for example, trends in authorship or dominant methodologies and paradigms. This article reports the results of a systematic review of comparative studies of journalism published between 2000 and 2015, a key growth period for the field. By examining in detail a population of 441 articles published in 22 key journals, we demonstrate that comparative journalism studies is a dynamic field that has developed considerable structure over time, and outline some key patterns, such as a continuing focus on Western authorship, the study of Western countries and elite media, quantitative methods of analysis and political aspects of journalism.