The study of news and news practice is rich in examinations of what journalists owe to society. However, this book looks at what journalists can expect from society: what roles ownership structures, colleagues, governments and audiences should play so journalists can do their jobs well – and safely.

What Journalists Are Owed draws on a variety of research perspectives – legal and ethical analysis, surveys, interviews and content analysis – in different national settings to look at how those relationships among stakeholders are developing in a time of rapid and often unsettling chance to the political and economic environments that surround journalism. Journalism can be a risky business. This book opens some discussions on those risks can be described and mitigated.

There’s no shortage of writing about what journalists owe society – but if society wants journalism done well, what does it owe journalists in return? This volume opens a discussion on the cultural, legal-system and professional agreements that societies should provide so journalists can do their jobs in increasingly hostile political environments. This book was originally published as a special issue of Journalism Studies.

Fred Vultee is an Associate Professor at the Department of Communication, Wayne State University, USA.

Lee Wilkins is a Professor Emerita at the Department of Communication, Wayne State University, USA and Professor Emerita at the School of Journalism, University of Missouri, USA.