The Psychology of Journalism

The Psychology of Journalism takes a media psychological approach towards a better understanding of key aspects of news production and reception. Media Psychology is an emerging discipline which is concerned with understanding the interaction between individuals and communication technology. Scholars interested in this area ask questions concerning the way in which communication between individuals is shaped by the media in terms of both its social and cultural characteristics.
At a time when the role and function of news journalism are under intense public scrutiny, The Psychology of Journalism explores the psychological processes involved in the production, delivery, and consumption of news. With contributions from an international team of scholars with backgrounds in both media and psychology, the chapters provide theoretical and empirical evidence to better understand why and how journalists and audience alike select, attend, understand, and co-construct meaning from reported events.This book is suitable for students and researchers in Journalism, Media Communication, Political Communication, and Psychology.

Sharon Coen is Senior Lecturer in Media Psychology at the University of Salford. Trained in Experimental Social Psychology at the Universita’ degli Studi di Padova, she obtained a PhD in Social Psychology at the University of Sussex. Her research interests include exploring the link between news
coverage and citizens’ knowledge and examining the media coverage of issues like climate change. With an interest in news, journalism, political communication, and research methods, she is co-convening the M.Sc. in Media Psychology at the University of Salford.

Peter Bull is Honorary Professor in Psychology at the Universities of York and Salford (UK), and Visiting Professor at the University of Antwerp (Belgium). His principal interest is the detailed microanalysis of interpersonal communication, especially political discourse. He has over 100 academic
publications and over 4,000 citations on Google Scholar.