Who, What, When, Where, And Why? A New Story Of Journalism, As Told By Nonprofit News Organizations

Communication scholars and professional journalists have used genres in recent years to propose solutions to social and financial crises that continuously plague the field in a digital age. One of these emerging genres is nonprofit journalism, which, with claims of transparency and a dedication to the “public interest” has established a strong following by the public and professionals since 2010. In part, the trust of the public has also been restored through nonprofit news organizations placing them at the forefront of the drama of journalism, as actors and changemakers. As audiences are invited into a new worldview of the field of journalism, its scene, agency, and purpose, this thesis explores exactly what story is being told, and what repercussions it may have for the drama of journalism as a whole. By rethinking the role of journalism from informer to changemaker, professionals in the field may risk crossing a definitional boundary from journalist to activist.