Reality without Scare Quotes: Developing the Case for Critical Realism in Journalism Research

This article builds on initial arguments about the advantages of using Critical Realism as an underpinning ontology in Journalism Studies, by discussing its compatibility with practical journalistic teaching and some aspects of constructivism, its grounds for political and ethical engagement, and its ability to open up new avenues of research in journalism research. In particular, it advances ideas about the ways in which Critical Realism allows journalism scholars to move beyond the rigid categorisation of different fields of research, by encouraging the critical exploration of the inter-relationship/s of structure and agency. It then turns to “mid-range” theory-building: considering whether the work of Archer, Bourdieu and Bates would help researchers ask more nuanced questions about journalistic processes and products, as well as assisting them in modelling time and change.