Michigan State University

Collection Development Policy Statement: Journalism

Analysis of the Subject Field

A. Chronology of the subject

The emphasis is on current topics, but materials on the history of journalism from all periods (particularly the U.S) are selectively collected.

B. Languages of resources collected

The emphasis is on English language materials in the collection. Major works covering journalism outside the U.S. in the vernacular may be selected, though translations will be preferred. Materials in the vernacular are generally the purview of the Area Studies librarians.

C. Geography of the subject

The major focus is on the United States, but curricular and research interests in the international press and media make works on other countries a growing focus.

D. Format of the resources collected

All appropriate formats are considered.

Research activity at the School of Journalism relies heavily on copyrighed or publicly available news and/or social media content and data sets in all formats for content analysis. As such, the ability to data and text mine resources is a major consideration when licensing or purchasing news content. Given the historical and current reliance on copyrighted data in this field, it has not been customary to require publication of the underlying data with the research publication, nor are there specific disciplinary repositories set up for data deposit. MSU-produced digital research data sets are unlikely to be a major focus for acquisitions in this discipline, but any data sets acquired will be done in accordance with the Collection Development Policy Statement: Digital Research Data.

E. Date of publication of resources collected

The present emphasis is on current publications, with the exception of reprints and classic works when required for replacement purposes.

F. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion 

We seek out historically underrepresented and marginalized voices, identities, and perspectives to diversify and fill gaps in our collections and participate in dismantling racism, sexism, and other biases. In the field of journalism this includes collecting works and supporting research on accessible, equitable, and inclusive journalism including addressing the identification and impact of bias and intersectionality. We also seek relevant works authored by scholars from under-represented minorities and from the global South.