The more you know: keeping up with journalism research

Studies, research projects and surveys are important during tough times in any business. As the journalism business struggles with the current economic recession and broader changes related to its structure and business model, these kinds of studies are vital to understanding both how things stand and what effect ongoing changes will have.

For example, Twitter has taken on a life of its own and many journalists are touting it as the next great tool. And thanks to The Pew Research Centre, which has started studying the Twitter and its users, we will be able to evaluate the rise of the trend as it changes over the years.

Also in this vein, the Project for Excellence in Journalism is now tracking news discussion in the blogosphere along with traditional news coverage in the U.S.

And, of course, there are studies that cover the death of print journalism, how newspaper websites are doing and “the future of news.”

Those in the Canadian news industry can also learn from the experiences of those in other parts of the world.

To help keep track of new research, Findings editor Alan Bass has put together a new feature called Findings’ Keepers, which will highlight recent essential journalism-related studies in an easy-to-read format.