Originating in a meta-theoretical discourse developed in the German-speaking world more than two decades ago and still evolving today, this book provides comprehensive global insights into theoretical approaches to journalism. It offers a detailed overview of the foundations, trends, key concepts, and central concerns of journalism theory, while also examining journalism’s relationship with other fields such as public relations, politics, religion, culture, and sports. Bringing together more than 60 chapters covering the major dimensions of journalism theory, the volume is both a substantial reference work and a practical resource for teaching and study.

Dr. Martin Löffelholz is Professor Emeritus at the Technische Universität Ilmenau in Germany and was formerly President of the Swiss German University in Jakarta, Indonesia. He has conducted numerous research projects, particularly focusing on journalism, crisis communication, and international communication. He has authored or edited over 430 academic publications, including 25 books. His work has appeared in journals such as Journalism Theory, Journalism Practice, the International Journal of Communication, Brazilian Journalism Research, Equid Novi, and Journalism Studies. Dr. Löffelholz has lectured in over 30 countries and has held visiting professorships at Turkish German University in Istanbul, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta in Indonesia, and Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.

Dr. Liane Rothenberger is Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Bamberg in Germany. From 2021 to 2025, she held the Professorship for Media and the Public with a focus on Migration at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in Germany. She previously taught and conducted research at the Technische Universität Ilmenau in Germany for over a decade, where she completed her habilitation on terrorism from the perspective of communication theories. Her research interests include journalism studies, migration studies, crisis communication, and intercultural and international communication.