The No-Go Zone of Journalism Studies—Revisiting the Concept of Technological Determinism

Abstract

This study aims to assess technological determinism in relation to interdisciplinarity in journalism studies. Based on a scoping review of articles published during the last decade in three influential scientific journals within the journalism studies field, Digital Journalism, New Media & Society and Journalism, the study analyzes manifestations of technological determinism and interdisciplinarity. The review includes in its analysis 127 articles published between 2012 and 2022 that mention “technological determinism” and “journalism.” Furthermore, the study connects these manifestations to the biographies of the authors in terms of their PhD dissertation discipline. The study raises two concerns. First, the analysis of the manifestation of technological determinism indicates that technological determinism is mainly thought of and discussed by the scholarly community from a functionalist viewpoint. It seems like scholarship that has added nuances and further developed the theory has been disregarded or perhaps is not even known. Second, interdisciplinary research on technology becomes difficult since the essence of technological determinism is considered a no-go zone in journalism studies. However, for the field of journalism studies to grow even stronger a revised delimitation is necessary. To reduce the stigma around technological determinism as a concept, the limitation should not exclude the use of the concept, but encourage a more nuanced assessment of it to contribute to the discussion of the role of technology in journalism.

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