Mapping Quality Digital Journalism. Research Trends and Pending Challenges in the Age of Hi-Tech

Abstract

Quality is a priority concept of journalism that connects with the social function of the press. The achievement of quality would ensure a proper work of the media. Technology is driving journalism today; hence, this purpose of excel lence requires new common parameters that allow its assessment, especially given the democratic dimension of the sector. Prior scholarship was widely analyzed these issues, but there is neither academic nor professional consensus on how journalistic quality works. Our study aims to examine the main lines of research that have explored quality digital journalism, organizing a fragmented literature into the three schools of theory already recognized by academia in the study of quality: Liberal, Professional and Social Responsibility. Based on a systematic review, we map the research trends regarding topics addressed and theoretical contributions, identifying an increasing number of ethical challenges in the use of digital technologies. This paper suggests to promote a debate on the need of a dialogue between research traditions to deal with the problems of a growing hi-tech journalism.