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Greenlee professor updates ‘Global Journalism’ book

How many students get to say their professor was the editor of their textbook? Not many.

And yet that’s exactly what University Professor Daniela Dimitrova did when “Global Journalism: Understanding World Media Systems” was first published in 2021. Because of the rapidly changing field and its relevance to journalism practice on a global level, the second edition of the book is now available for students and classrooms across the world. The new edition covers updated content on journalism trends around the globe and adds a stronger emphasis on the role of new technology, including social media and artificial intelligence.

Unlike a research project that results in an article, this type of book requires frequent updates, multiple areas of expertise, and current examples, according to Dimitrova who solicited chapter contributions as book editor. “This is a book that’s targeting the student population and was designed to be accessible from the start,” said Dimitrova. “There’s no heavy jargon or big words, and it’s as current and as comprehensive as possible,” she added.

The book is divided into three parts: Key Concepts and Theories, World Regions, and Current Issues and Challenges. The book traces how media systems have evolved over time across all world regions. In addition to technological change, the book emphasizes the importance of the local context for media developments within different countries. Multiple topics are covered in the book — from global news cultures and journalistic ethics and responsibilities to foreign news reporting and global journalism education as well as soft power and public diplomacy.

“It was really important for me to have local experts write chapters on their own regions and explain how journalism operates in their part of the world,” Dimitrova said. “I also wanted them to answer the question, ‘If media covers issues and events in this way, what does that mean for the public’?”

Regional chapters are updated as much as possible, with fresh case studies that appeal to students. For example, the new edition covers the doctored photo of the Princess of Wales and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 

Another addition to the current edition is a chapter on media freedom written by Greenlee alumna Teresa Krug (’07, journalism and mass communication). Krug brought in a lot of her own international journalism experience to her chapter. Krug is a multimedia journalist, producer and videographer whose work focuses on issues of immigration, international intervention, social entrepreneurship, climate change and inequality. Over the last decade, she’s covered stories around the globe for the world’s biggest news outlets, including Al Jazeera English, The Associated Press, Bloomberg, CBS News, NowThis, The Guardian, Guernica and Voice of America.

“During college, Dr. Dimitrova played a major role in sparking my interest — and later career — in international journalism. All these years later, I am honored to play a role in her educating new generations of aspiring journalists,” Krug says. “This new edition of Global Journalism brings together practicing journalists from around the world, providing perspectives not often found in other American-produced texts. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to not only better understand how media laws and norms differ around the globe but also to get a peek into how ongoing debates over censorship, privacy and technology will continue to impact our work in the coming decades.” 

Natalie Mandziuk, executive editor, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, an imprint of Bloomsbury, agrees. “Bringing together more than two dozen scholars and journalists from fifteen countries is no small task. Daniela has given us a master class in providing students with diverse perspectives for a truly global education. I am incredibly proud to have worked with her on this second edition. The book embodies our commitment to bringing strong scholarship and contemporary perspectives into the classroom to help students engage with the world around them.”

An edited book is always a team effort. In addition to the expert chapter authors, including Distinguished Professor Michael Bugeja who wrote the chapter on AI, Dimitrova also recognizes Greenlee colleague Sherry Berghefer, teaching professor, for helping with the cover design; graduate student Richard Adonu and undergraduate student Mia Kawamitsu for fact-checking and editing; and Michael Dahlstrom, Greenlee School director, for his support of the project.

Dimitrova already has invitations from leading universities across to the U.S., such as the University of Missouri and the University of Texas at Austin, to speak about the new edition of the book. She also plans to donate royalties from the book to the Dale and Kelly Renner Journalism Study Aboard Scholarship, which, Dimitrova adds, “really enriches the student experience and broadens future professional opportunities.”