Current research

• Behind the Discourse on Online Media Democracy: The Canadian Experience:
  Pundits, policy-makers and academics suggest that new online information sources are challenging traditional media elites. Yet recent studies suggest the democratization of sources is more myth than reality, with mainstream media solidifying their position. This study analyzes audience data to determine if Canadians are accessing news from a greater plurality of sources online compared to traditional media.

• Degrees of openness: Participatory journalism practices at two Canadian national newspaper websites:
  This project explores how media professionals in Canada perceive, assess and value audience participation in the news production process

• Understanding the motivations for citizen reporters: A study of contributors to NowPublic.com:
  This study seeks to provide new insights into why publics contribute to participatory journalism websites. It aims to investigate how contributors to participatory journalism websites perceive, assess and value participation in the news production process. Funded: $5,000

Scholarly publications

• Hermida, Alfred. “The blogging BBC: Journalism blogs at ‘the world’s most trusted news organisation’”. Journalism Practice, first published 24 April 2009.
• Hermida, Alfred and Thurman, Neil (2008), “A clash of cultures: the integration of user-generated content within professional journalistic frameworks at British newspaper websites”, Journalism Practice 2(3), pp 343 – 356.
• Hermida, Alfred and Thurman, Neil (2008), “A clash of cultures: the integration of user-generated content within professional journalistic frameworks at British newspaper websites”, reprint in The Future of Newspapers, Routledge, 2009.

Forthcoming publications:

• Gotcha: How newsroom norms are shaping participatory journalism online by Alfred Hermida and Neil Thurman, in Garrett Monaghan and Sean Tunney (Eds.) Web Journalism: A New Form of Citizenship. Eastbourne: Sussex Academic Press, 2009.
• Let’s talk: How blogging is shaping the BBC’s relationship with the public by Alfred Hermida, in Garrett Monaghan and Sean Tunney (Eds.) Web Journalism: A New Form of Citizenship. Eastbourne: Sussex Academic Press, 2009.
• Revitalizing Science Journalism for a Digital Age, paper for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Refereed conference papers:

• Hermida, A. “Twittering the News: The Emergence of Ambient Journalism“, Future of Journalism conference at Cardiff University, September 2009
• Hermida, A. 2008 ‘The BBC goes blogging: Is Auntie finally listening?’, 9th International Symposium on Online Journalism, University of Texas, Austin, USA, April 2008
• Hermida, A. and Thurman, N. (2007) ‘A clash of cultures: The integration of user-generated content within a professional journalistic framework at British newspaper websites’ paper presented to the Future of Newspapers Conference, Cardiff University, Wales, September 12-13 2007
• Hermida, A and Thurman, N. (2007) ‘Comments please: How the British news media is struggling with user-generated content’ paper presented to the 8th International Symposium on Online Journalism, University of Texas, Austin, USA, March 31st (‘top rated paper’). Download PDF

Recent research activities:

• Tweets and transformation: How social media is changing journalism panel, Northern Voice conference, University of British Columbia, February 22 2009
• Transformative journalism education for the 21st century, (co-authored with Mary Lynn Young), presented at the Convergence and Society conference: The Participatory Web, University of South Carolina, Columbia, United States. Oct. 2008.
• When journalists go backstage: Reassessing privacy for social media, presented at AEJMC annual conference August 9 2008 in Chicago.
• Researching the Attitudes of Online News Editors towards Participatory Journalism, with Neil Thurman, presented at the ICA annual conference, May 2008.
• ‘Re:engage – Beyond the online civic ghetto’, presented at The Future of Public Institutions – New Media, The Press, and the Museum, organised by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, at UBC, May 2008
• ‘Towards new models of civic engagement online’, presented at When Citizens Decide: The Challenge of Large Scale Public Engagement (PDF), organised by the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions, at UBC, May 2008
• ‘Capture the wow: Telling multimedia science stories’, presented at the Knight 25th Anniversary Symposium: The Future of Science Journalism at MIT, Feb. 2008
• Keynote speaker, Future Directions in Science Journalism conference: Reimagining Science Journalism (PDF), Nov. 2007
• ‘Threat and Opportunity: The British Press and Participatory Journalism’, presented at the Third International Symposium: Information Communication Technologies Towards a Knowledge Society, University of Nueva Leon, Monterrey, Mexico (in Spanish), Oct. 2007
• Co-principal investigator on Prototype of an Educational Podcasting Infrastructure, 2006-2007 project at UBC.
• Moderator: Covering Science in Cyberspace seminar, Knight New Media Center, Annenberg School for Communication (March, 2007)
• Presenter: Election ‘08: Covering Politics in Cyberspace, Knight New Media Center, Annenberg School for Communication (April, 2007)

Other publications:

• The web, the politician and the prostitute, BBC News website, March 16 2008
• Stop the Presses! Ordinary Citizens are Re-writing How News is Reported in a New Media Culture, UBC Reports, October 2007

Citations

• Cited in academic articles
• Cited in books