Online and newsworthy : have online sources changed journalism?

This special issue takes up the issue of online journalistic news sourcing techniques, which are defined as the use of the internet for gathering information for news stories. Online platforms, such as websites, Wikipedia, search engines, and social media can be consulted by journalists to gather or check information from both elite and non-elite actors. The papers in this special issue advance our understanding of (1) how online sources are used in the news production process and how they change the relationship between journalists and different groups of actors; and (2) why and how journalists use online sources during their daily work, and how they verify these sources. Together, the different contributions within this issue illustrate that the increasing use of online sources has impacted, yet perhaps not drastically changed, all aspects of journalistic news production.This special issue takes up the issue of online journalistic news sourcing techniques, which are defined as the use of the internet for gathering information for news stories. Online platforms, such as websites, Wikipedia, search engines, and social media can be consulted by journalists to gather or check information from both elite and non-elite actors. The papers in this special issue advance our understanding of (1) how online sources are used in the news production process and how they change the relationship between journalists and different groups of actors; and (2) why and how journalists use online sources during their daily work, and how they verify these sources. Together, the different contributions within this issue illustrate that the increasing use of online sources has impacted, yet perhaps not drastically changed, all aspects of journalistic news production.A