Solidarity in Journalism - How Ethical Reporting Fights for Social Justice

Conventional journalistic norms discourage reporters from taking sides. They are supposed to remain neutral, impartial, and objective. Yet there is also a long tradition in journalism, dating back to the 1800s, that pursues truth by practicing solidarity for social justice.

Anita Varma offers a bold defense of reporting for social justice, showing what journalistic solidarity looks like in principle and in practice. She argues that solidarity is a longstanding yet unacknowledged journalistic norm that fosters truthful reporting when people's basic dignity is at stake. Ethical journalism incorporates solidarity throughout the reporting process: deciding what is newsworthy, whom to include, how to approach them, what questions to ask, how to structure stories, and how to assess impact. Varma illustrates these practices through case studies of local and national reporting on homelessness, housing instability, and the cost of living.

Based on analysis of published journalism, in-depth interviews with journalists, and public engagement with people who aim to make journalism better, Solidarity in Journalism demonstrates how reporting can help society's most vulnerable. Amid intense debate over the role of the media, this book makes an urgent case for solidarity in journalism as crucial for representing and addressing social division.

About the author

Anita Varma is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin. She also leads the Solidarity Journalism Initiative at the Center for Media Engagement, where she is a senior faculty research associate.

Product details

• Authors: Varma Anita
• Publisher: University Presses
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 06.03.2026
• EAN: 9780231215466
• ISBN: 978-0-231-21546-6
• Illustrations: 3 tables
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Politics, society, business > Society; Social sciences, law, business > Media, communication > Media science; Media Studies, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Journalism, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Poverty & Homelessness, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies, Political activism, Press & journalism, Poverty & unemployment, Social issues & processes, Social and ethical issues, News media and journalism, Media studies: Journalism, Housing & homelessness, Poverty and precarity, Housing and homelessness, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Activism & Social Justice, Political activism / Political engagement