o 409 Reconsidering News Production: How Understanding the Interplay of Actors, Actants, and Audiences Can Improve Journalism Education Oscar Westlund and Seth C. Lewis N ews has long been an important part of how people make sense of the world. Yet, the ways in which news is produced, distrib- uted, and consumed have transformed signifcantly in recent decades (Anderson, Bell, & Shirky, 2012), even though some aspects of professional reporting remain stubbornly consistent (Reich, 2013). The rise of digital media—including the diffusion of mobile devices and social media affordances—is a key engine of change among news insti- tutions. So is the shifting character of industry competition, as legacy news organizations struggle against an ocean of online competitors to claim sustained audience engagement and related revenue opportuni- ties (Picard, 2014; Westlund, 2011). Important questions must be asked, such as: What is the future of institutional forms of news production and circulation in democratic societies? (Peters & Broersma, 2013; Ryfe, 2012). And the fate of news institutions raises key questions for journal- ism education and training. For example, what processes of thinking and doing should be taught when the news landscape seems so liquid and uncertain? (Mensing, 2010; Robinson, 2013). Rather than rushing into normative conclusions about the evolving news production process’ impact on journalism education worldwide, it is important to step back and size up the current news production process. This chapter outlines a perspective on news production that moves beyond taken-for-granted notions about “human” journalists and their centrality in such processes. Instead, it focuses on the poten- tial interplay of social actors, technological actants, and audiences—how they are interconnected in news work and their impact on journalism education. 409 19