The future of newspapers is hotly contested. Pessimistic pundits predict their imminent demise while others envisage a new era of participatory journalism online, with yet others advocating increased investment "in quality journalism" rather than free gifts and DVDs, as the necessary cure for the current parlous state of newspapers.

Globally, newspapers confront highly variable prospects reflecting their location in different market sectors, countries and journalism cultures. But despite this diversity, they face similar challenges in responding to the increased competition from expansive radio and 24 hour television news channels; the emergence of free "Metro" papers; the delivery of news services on billboards, pod casts and mobile telephony; the development of online editions, as well as the burgeoning of blogs, citizen journalists and User Generated Content. Newspapers’ revenue streams are also under attack as advertising increasingly migrates online.

This authoritative collection of research based essays by distinguished scholars and journalists from around the globe, brings together a judicious mix of academic expertise and professional journalistic experience to analyse and report on the future of newspapers.

This book was published as special issues of Journalism Practice and Journalism Studies.