Research Statement
I draw on both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the intersection of news media, digital technology, and audience behavior. The news industry finds itself in a precarious situation. Companies like Google and Facebook have decimated journalism’s revenue model while also forcing the profession to transform its patterns of distribution, leaving many news publishers dependent on the very platforms that have wreaked havoc on their economic stability. My research examines how journalists attempt to overcome this period of uncertainty, and how audiences respond. My overarching research question: How do journalists and the public think about and approach one another in a news media environment increasingly mediated by digital platforms?
Research Keywords
- public participation
- Newspapers
- News Media
- Journalism and Media Studies
- Journalism
- Community Journalism
Presentations
- Nelson, J.L., Belair-Gagnon, V., & Holton, A.E. (2023). ‘An Ally to Women Journalists.’ How Media Interlopers Help Journalists Navigate Dark Participation. The Future of Journalism, Cardiff, Wales, September 14-15. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 09/14/2023.
- Lewis, S.C., Nelson, J.L., & Cowley, B. (2023). ‘Money is the root of all evil.’ How the business of journalism shapes trust in news. The Future of Journalism, Cardiff, Wales, September 1415. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 09/14/2023.
- Molyneux, L. & Nelson, J.L. (2023). “Let’s not tank the reputation of this organization”: Gaps in expectations and performance of journalistic social media work. International Communication Association, Toronto, Canada, May 25-29. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 05/25/2023.
- Moon, Y.E., Nelson, J.L., Roschke, K., & Lewis, S.C. Understanding Public Trust by Comparing Attitudes about Healthcare and Journalism. International Communication Association, Toronto, Canada, May 25-29. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 05/25/2023.
Publications
- Nelson, J.L., Sanderson, Z. & Lewis, S.C. (2024). People trust themselves more than they trust the news. They shouldn’t. Columbia Journalism Review.
Published, 03/12/2024.
https://www.cjr.org/tow_center/people-trust-themse... - Nelson, J.L. (2023). Journalists abandon social media, and news audiences follow (eventually). Nieman Lab.
Published, 12/13/2023.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2023/12/journalists-aban... - Ksiazek, T.B., Kim, S.J., Nelson, J.L., Park, A., Patankar., S., Sabalaskey, O. & Taneja, H. (2023). Distrust Profiles: Identifying the Factors That Shape Journalism’s Credibility Crisis. Media and Communication. Vol. 11(4), 308-319.
Published, 12/07/2023.
https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunicati... - Moon, Y.E., Roschke, K., Nelson, J.L. & Lewis, S.C. (2023). Doctors Fact-Check, Journalists Get Fact-Checked: Comparing Public Trust in Journalism and Healthcare. Media and Communication. Vol. 11(4), 380-391.
Published, 12/07/2023.
https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunicati... - Molyneux, L. & Nelson, J.L. (2023). ‘We are here to protect you.’ How newsroom social media policies can improve journalists’ well-being. Happiness in Journalism.
Published, 11/14/2023.
https://www.routledge.com/Happiness-in-Journalism/... - Moon, Y.E., Roschke, K., Nelson, J.L. & Lewis, S.C. (2023). People’s (mis)trust of doctors can help us understand their (mis)trust of journalists. Nieman Lab.
Published, 10/11/2023.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2023/10/peoples-mistrust... - Molyneux, L. & Nelson, J.L. (2023). “Let’s Not Tank the Reputation of This Organization.” How Newsroom Social Media Policies Exacerbate Journalism’s Labor Crisis. Journalism Studies.
Published, 09/27/2023.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14616... - Nelson, J.L. & Lewis, S.C. (2023). Only “sheep” trust journalists? How citizens’ self-perceptions shape their approach to news. New Media & Society. Vol. 25(7), 1522-1541.
Published, 07/07/2023.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1461... - Nelson, J.L. & Dahmen, N.S. (2023). Appealing to News Audiences or News Funders? An Empirical Analysis of the Solutions Journalism Network’s Revenue Project. Journalism Practice.
Published, 05/08/2023.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/175127... - Nelson, J.L. (2023). Tucker Carlson’s departure and Fox News’ expensive legal woes show the problem with faking ‘authenticity’. The Conversation.
Published, 04/24/2023.
https://theconversation.com/tucker-carlsons-depart... - Nelson, J.L. (2023). “Worse than the Harassment Itself.” Journalists’ Reactions to Newsroom Social Media Policies. Digital Journalism. Vol. 11(8), 1456-1474.
Published, 01/06/2023.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/216708...