The Journalism research group – usually in cooperation with news media organizations – studies how journalism can become more valuable for its users. We call this valuable journalism, and from this perspective we investigate the content, the production process and the use of new kinds of journalism, as well as how they are experienced.
The study of journalism multidisciplinary and in its methods and theoretical basis it combines insights from discourse analysis, narrative analysis and psychological theories with communication studies and media studies. We aim to find the stimulating and inhibiting factors concerning the transition from newspapers to digital news. Which opportunities do digital news media have, and which ones are they not using to their full extent? We also study how, when, and through which platform or medium people consume news. How can news organizations improve? Finally, we examine how important information can be conveyed and structured in such a way that readers and viewers truly enjoy it.
In our research project The New News Consumer we study how news media can present information in such a way that it fits in optimally with current news usage, as well as the ever-changing journalistic needs and habits of the public. In this project, VU Amsterdam cooperates with the University of Groningen and the following news media organizarions: De Persgroep, NOS, Nieuwsuur, Buitenhof, EenVandaag, EO, NCRV and NDC Mediagroep.
Our research group also collaborates in various research projects with the following universities and news media organizations: Oxford University (Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism); University of Technology Sydney (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences); University of Wollongong (School of the Arts, English and Media); Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (Department of Media Studies and Journalism); University of Amsterdam (Department of Media and Culture); Dutch Journalism Fund.