Research
The Center for Journalism Studies (Department of Communication Sciences, Ghent University) conducts research on recent developments in journalism.
The Center for Journalism Studies (CJS) is one of the four research centers in the Department of Communication Sciences at Ghent University. Since 2007, we collect and strengthen research into different aspects of news and journalism as profession. These insights are also embedded in our master program in journalism studies. The directors of CJS are prof. dr. Karin Raeymaeckers and prof. dr. Sarah Van Leuven.
CJS hosts four lines of research which are defined by a multi-method approach (both quantitative and qualitative) to investigate theoretical and practical questions about media regulation and journalistic deontology, journalists and their profession, news and representations, and media and sustainability.
Media regulation and journalistic deontology
This research area focuses on the regulation of news media, both formal and informal, and its societal impact. It encompasses projects on media councils' self-regulation in the digital age and investigations into journalistic deontology and media ownership.
- Media councils in the digital age (2023-2025)
- Deontology among journalism students (2024)
- Media ownership in Belgium (2021-2022)
- COM-PRESS: Detection tool for manipulated images (2023-2026)
Journalists and their profession
This research line examines the journalistic profession in practice, exploring newsroom cultures, roles, and the profiles of Belgian journalists. It involves extensive intra-university and international collaborations, providing comparative longitudinal insights. As such CJS is involved in many foundational studies regarding the study of journalism in Belgium.
- The profile of the Belgian journalist (2013 - ...)
- Opening the black box of the newsroom (2023)
- Journalistic role performance project (2013 - ...)
News and representation
Research in this area focuses on representational practices of specific themes or issues in news media, with a strong emphasis on diversity. Studies include language representation in journalism, portrayals of journalism in fiction, and representations of women politicians and historical events in news coverage.
- Navigating identities in political news: towards a better understanding of intersectional gendering in news reporting on women politicians (2018 - 2024)
- The representations of Dutch among Belgian French-speaking journalists and of French among Belgian Dutch-speaking journalists (2016 - ...)
- Fiction or reality? How audiences make sense of movies and series about journalism: a Flemish case study (2021 - 2025)
- The Belgian past in present journalism. How the Dutch- and the French-speaking public broadcaster (re)construct collective memories about the colonial and war history (2002-present) (2024 - 2027)
Media and sustainability
The last research line explores the representation and framing of sustainability in media, including news narratives. It includes studies on sustainable communication regarding fashion, water conservation, and the development of coastal areas.
- Tapping Water into Your Heart: Promoting Water Conservation through its Uniqueness Compared to its Scarcity strengthened by the individuals’ personal values in communicational strategies (2021 - 2025)
- Sustainability communication in fashion online shops: A study on sustainability signals and consumer insights (2020 - 2026)
- BLUE BALANCE: Sustainable Economic Development of Flemish Coastal Areas For All (2022 - ...)
- Does sustainability sell luxury products? The influence of sustainable features in luxury products on brand perceptions and product evaluations
- Promoting the adoption and implementation of heat pumps by heating installers among homeowners
Collaborations
As a research center, we are open to active collaboration with researchers from other research groups, both nationally and internationally.
For example, we have found an academic partner in News Talk & Text (NT&T) and offer support to journalism in Flanders through partnerships with the Pascal Decroos Fund for Special Journalism, Mediapunt and the Flemish Association of Journalists (VVJ).
Internationally, we collaborate with the Missouri School of Journalism and are part of several research organizations such as