Book Review: Global Journalism Practice and New Media Performance, by Y. Kalyango Jr. and David H. Mould (Eds.).

Abstract

Y. Kalyango Jr. and David H. Mould (Eds.). Global Journalism Practice and New Media Performance. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. 262 pp.Understanding journalism is traditionally practiced in United States and in certain counties may not be novel topic today for journalism and mass communication educators. However, traditional journalism is practiced in environment where both separately or jointly perform their due function has become an intriguing issue in recent years. This is vital issue in countries, such as Armenia, El Salvador, Guyana, Kyrgyzstan, Suriname, and Yemen, which are not conventionally or frequently seen in our field's literature.This volume, edited by Kalyango and Mould, professors at Ohio University, well addresses role of journalism practice and education in both new and traditional media amid economic and cultural contexts (fourth cover) in 16 or regions-China, Colombia, Ghana, India, Jordan, Palestine, Russia, Taiwan, Turkey, United States, and abovementioned. From global perspective, editors and chapter contributors aim to elaborate key debates concern core journalistic values: to remain relevant as main arbiter of reliable, accurate, independent sources, and verified news and in ecosystem and to tackle challenge facing both basic journalistic principles (p. 1) and the journalistic obligation to enable platforms as forum for public debates, criticism, and compromise (p. 1).Chapters are grouped into three sections-journalism practice (in United States), versus traditional media, and journalism practice and performance (outside of United States). Section I begins with global educators' evaluation of U.S. journalism practice concerning a broader question-How will we know what [colleagues in foreign countries] think about U.S. journalism and it compares with journalism they have taught and practiced in their own countries (p. ix). The core journalistic values and professional model upheld in U.S. system may not be universally applied according to focus group where participants provided an outsider's view. This chapter serves as starting point, as editors stated, for demonstration of how traditional values in practice of professional journalism in other parts of world (p. 4) can be localized and interpreted.The eight case studies included in Section II are organized and fleshed out by competition and co-existence of traditional and as sources of information, as well as their roles shaped by political, economic, cultural, and/or societal conditions. Concerning several nations barely seen in research, for example, Suren Deheryan provides latest information about development of telecommunication infrastructure, and analyzes increase in Internet access in Armenia. Although still facing challenges in establishing credibility, online and social networking have influenced practice of traditional news and news agencies, and more importantly, brought changes to government, electoral processes, and e-commerce in this mountainous country. …