Contemporary BRICS Journalism: Non-Western Media in Transition

Contemporary BRICS Journalism: Non-Western Media in Transition
Authors: Svetlana Pasti, Jyotika Ramaprasad
Publisher: Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group)
Series: Internationalizing Media Studies
Publication Year: 2017

About the Book

Contemporary BRICS Journalism: Non-Western Media in Transition is the first comprehensive comparative study examining how journalism is practised, transformed, and contested across the five major BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Drawing on more than 700 in-depth interviews conducted between 2012 and 2015, the book offers an unprecedented look inside newsrooms across diverse political systems and media environments. Through the narratives of journalists themselves, it reveals how professional identities, ethical commitments, and reporting practices are being reshaped in response to rapid digitalisation and shifting political and economic pressures.

The authors and contributors explore a wide range of themes: the evolution of journalistic professionalism, the tension between traditional and digital news cultures, the rise of online platforms, and the ways journalists navigate constraints while striving to maintain autonomy and public responsibility. By comparing five distinct media systems, the book highlights both converging global trends and unique national trajectories, showing how BRICS journalists balance technological innovation with longstanding cultural and institutional legacies.

A major strength of the volume lies in its qualitative depth—capturing the lived experiences and reflections of journalists as “insider witnesses” to change. These insights illuminate how newsroom technologies, audience expectations, and political contexts shape journalistic roles, from reporting protest movements to practicing community journalism.

Overall, the book significantly expands the scope of comparative journalism research by centering non-Western media landscapes. It serves as an essential reference for scholars and students of journalism, communication, and media studies who seek to understand how global information flows are being reconfigured outside the Western world.

Foreword

• Daya Kishan Thussu

Introduction

• Svetlana Pasti, Jyotika Ramaprasad

Part I — Transitioning Concepts and Practice Across BRICS

1. News Making: Current Perspectives
   Herman Wasserman, Jyotika Ramaprasad, Muniz Sodré, Maria Anikina, Ravindra Kumar Vemula, Yu Xu
2. Professionalism: Continuity and Change
   Jyotika Ramaprasad, Svetlana Pasti, Fernando Paulino, Ruiming Zhou, Musawenkosi W. Ndlovu
3. Ethics: From Idealism to Corruption?
   Deqiang Ji, Ruiming Zhou, Fernando Paulino, Dmitry Gavra, Jyotika Ramaprasad, Herman Wasserman
4. Gender: Moving Towards Professional Equality
   Nagamallika Gudipaty, Claudia Lago, Svetlana Pasti, Xianzhi Li, Yu Xu, Ylva Rodny-Gumede
5. Profession and Work: Imagining the Future
   Svetlana Pasti, Beatriz Becker, Nagamallika Gudipaty, Yu Xu, Musawenkosi W. Ndlovu
6. Citizen Journalism: Rising Challenge to Mainstream Media
   Dmitry Yagodin, Leonardo Custodio, Sanjay Bharthur, Glenda Daniels

Part II — Two-Country Comparisons of Critical Issues

7. Technological Manifestations: Brazil and India
   Ravindra Kumar Vemula, Márcio Guerra, Christiane Paschoalino
8. Protest Cases: Russia and China
   Dmitry Gavra, Dmitry Strovsky, Yu Xu
9. Ownership Dynamics: India and China
   Jyotika Ramaprasad, Ruiming Zhou
10. Community Media: South Africa and Brazil
    Tanja Bosch, João Paulo Malerba, Raquel Paiva
11. Audience Matters: Russia and South Africa
    Maria Anikina, Musawenkosi W. Ndlovu

Conclusion

• Jyotika Ramaprasad, Svetlana Pasti