The Impact of Digital Media on Urban Discourse

Abstract

Journalism plays a central role in providing public information. This applies especially to the urban environment where informing citizens on local decision-making processes is an indispensable component of urban discourse. However, the rapid development of digital media raises questions about the quality of information provided by journalists. This study investigates the quality of urban discourse in the media, drawing on interviews with 51 journalists in four countries (Poland, United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands) representing various media types (public and private, nationwide and local, traditional and online). The results show that local journalism has great potential in shaping the relationships between local authorities and citizens. Digital media has led to a proliferation in the supply of content to the public as well as challenges in the provision of reliable information to citizens. Several solutions are proposed to raise the quality of urban discourse with respect to political accountability and agenda setting.