Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism — A UK Journalism Organisation UK JournoHub Recommends
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism is an independent research centre within the University of Oxford. UK JournoHub highlights their work because their annual Digital News Report, Journalist Fellowships, and free research are widely used across the UK journalism industry.
Whether you are an editor tracking audience trust, a reporter applying for a fellowship year at Oxford, or a student looking for free, rigorous research on the state of the industry, the Reuters Institute publishes work that is directly usable by working journalists.
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Why UK JournoHub Features the Reuters Institute
Journalism is an industry that talks a great deal about audience trust, platform shifts, and business models, but rigorous, independent, cross-country data on those questions is rare. The Reuters Institute's Digital News Report is one of the few sources that editors, strategists, and academics across the industry treat as a reliable annual benchmark.
Beyond the Report, the Institute's Journalist Fellowship gives working journalists a rare opportunity: a funded period away from daily deadlines to study, research, and think about their craft at Oxford. Its free online courses and research publications extend a version of that opportunity to journalists who cannot take a fellowship year.
We feature the Reuters Institute because its research is directly usable in newsroom strategy conversations, its fellowship is a genuine career development opportunity for working reporters, and its academic independence within a university setting means its findings carry weight the industry itself often lacks the resources to produce.
What the Reuters Institute Does
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism is an independent research centre within the University of Oxford, closely associated with Jesus College. It studies journalism as an academic discipline while remaining closely engaged with working journalists and the news industry.
Digital News Report
An annual, widely cited survey of news consumption habits across dozens of countries, covering trust, platform use, subscription behaviour, and emerging trends in how audiences find and engage with news.
Journalist Fellowship Programme
A funded programme, based at Jesus College, Oxford, bringing working journalists to the university for a period of study and research away from daily newsroom pressures.
Research Publications
A wider body of academic and policy-relevant research on journalism, media trends, and the news industry, much of it freely available to read online.
Free Online Courses
Courses aimed at journalists and journalism students, covering topics relevant to modern practice and informed by the Institute's own research.
Why Journalists and Editors Should Know About the Reuters Institute
The Institute's output is directly relevant to decisions journalists and editors make every day:
- ›Evidence for editorial and business strategy
Editors making decisions about platform strategy, subscription models, or audience trust can cite Digital News Report findings as an independent, credible data source rather than relying on anecdote.
- ›A funded career development route
The Journalist Fellowship offers a rare, funded opportunity for working journalists to step back from daily deadlines and study their craft — something few employers can offer internally.
- ›Free access to serious research
Journalists who cannot access a fellowship can still use the Institute's freely published research and online courses to inform their own reporting on the media industry, or their own professional development.
- ›A source for media-industry reporting
Journalists reporting on the state of the industry itself — trust in the press, platform dependency, the business model crisis — regularly cite Reuters Institute research as an authoritative source.
Practical scenarios where knowing about the Institute matters
Pitching a media-trends feature:A reporter wants to write about declining trust in news. Citing Digital News Report data gives the piece a credible, internationally comparable evidence base rather than relying on a single newsroom's anecdotal experience.
Considering a career break for research: A mid-career journalist wants time to study a specific issue in depth. The Journalist Fellowship is a concrete, funded route to doing that at Oxford rather than self-funding a sabbatical.
Newsroom strategy discussions: An editor preparing a strategy document on platform dependency or subscription models can draw on Reuters Institute research as an independent reference point in internal discussions.
How Journalists Can Engage with the Reuters Institute
Read the Digital News Report
The latest edition of the Digital News Report is freely available on the Institute's website and is a strong starting point for understanding audience and industry trends.
Digital News Report→Apply for a Journalist Fellowship
Working journalists with relevant experience can review eligibility criteria and application timelines for the Journalist Fellowship Programme at Jesus College, Oxford.
Journalist Fellowships→Take a free online course
The Institute offers free online courses for journalists and journalism students, informed by its own research into the industry.
Free online courses→Browse the research archive
Beyond the Digital News Report, the Institute publishes a wider body of research on journalism and the news industry, freely accessible online.
Research archive→Notable Areas of the Reuters Institute's Work
Global trust and audience research. The Digital News Report's cross-country comparisons of trust in news, platform dependency, and subscription behaviour make it one of the most cited sources in industry discussions of the future of journalism.
Journalist Fellowships. The Institute's fellowship programme, based at Jesus College, has supported journalists from around the world in taking time to study specific issues in depth, contributing to both individual career development and the wider body of journalism research.
Predictions and industry outlook research. The Institute regularly publishes forward-looking research and analysis on where the news industry is heading, widely referenced by editors and media commentators planning their own strategy.
Reuters Institute Resources for Journalists
The Institute publishes resources directly relevant to journalists, editors, and journalism educators. All of these are on their own website.
Related Guides on UK JournoHub
Visit the Reuters Institute
Everything on this page is drawn from the Institute's own website. For research, fellowships, and free courses, go directly to reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How do I apply for a Reuters Institute Journalist Fellowship?
What is the Digital News Report and how can I use it?
Are Reuters Institute courses and research free to access?
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