Games, Play & Journalism

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Research theme

How journalists cover games and play; how newsrooms experiment with games, livestreaming, and immersive formats; and what fidelity means for visual journalism.

Publications

  • Nieborg, D. B., & Foxman, M. (2023). Mainstreaming and Game Journalism. MIT Press. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Foxman, M. (2026). Conceptualizing Fidelity: Reimagining Contemporary Visual Journalism’s Occupational Ideologies. Digital Journalism. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Perreault, G. P., Foxman, M., Maares, P, & Hase, V. (2025). Epistemologies of Digital News Production: Power and Technological Adaptation in Knowledge Production. Digital Journalism, 13(3). Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Foxman, M., Harris, B., & Partin, W. (2024). Recasting Twitch: Livestreaming, Platforms and New Frontiers in Digital Journalism. Digital Journalism, 12(4), 516–536. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Harris, B., Foxman, M., & Partin, W. (2023). “Don’t make me ratio you again”: How political influencers encourage platformed political participation. Social Media + Society, 9(2). Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Ferrer-Conill, R., Foxman, M., Jones, J., Sihvonen, T., & Siitonen, M. (2020). Playful approaches to news engagement. Convergence, 26(3), 457–469. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Foxman, M. (2017). The playful newsroom: Iterating and reiterating the news and its publics. First Monday, 22(1). Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Foxman, M., & Nieborg, D. B. (2016). Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Games Coverage and its Network of Ambivalences. Journal of Games Criticism, 3(1). Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Foxman, M. & Nieborg, D. B. (2026). Mainstreaming AI: How Journalists Play with Emerging Technologies. In Z. Papacharissi (Ed.). Connective AI: Social (Ro)Bots, Play, Democracy. (pp. 115–132). Routledge.
  • Foxman, M. (2025). Immersive Journalism with Augmented and Virtual Reality. In N. Dahmen & T. J. Thomson (Eds). The Routledge Companion to Visual Journalism (pp. 397–408). Routledge.
  • Nieborg, D. B., & Foxman, M. (2018). Mainstreaming Misogyny: The beginning of the end and the end of the beginning in Gamergate coverage. In J. R. Vickery, & T. Everbach (Eds.), Mediating Misogyny: Gender, Technology, and Harassment (pp. 111–130). Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Foxman, M., Cote, A., Can, O., Harris, B., Rahman, W., Hansen, J., & Fickle, T. (2021). Recasting Collegiate Esports: Independence and Interdependence of University Twitch Streamers. AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Nieborg, D. B., & Foxman, M. (2016). The Mainstreaming of US Games Journalism. DiGRA/FDG ’16 – Abstract Proceedings of the First International Joint Conference of DiGRA and FDG. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Foxman, M. (2023). Book Review: Total Journalism: Models, Techniques and Challenges, by Jorge Vázquez-Herrero, Alba Silva-Rodríguez, María-Cruz Negreira-Rey, Carlos Toural-Bran, and Xosé López-García (Eds.). Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 100(1). Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Foxman, M. (2022). Lessons for Journalists from Virtual Worlds. Tow Center for Digital Journalism. Read → (opens in a new tab)
  • Foxman, M. (2015). Play the News: Fun and Games in Digital Journalism. Tow Center for Digital Journalism. Read → (opens in a new tab)

In the news

Talks and presentations

Show 25 talks
  • Stevenson, H., Foxman, M., & Cohen, A. S. (June, 2025). Comparing Audience Reception of a Newsgame and News Article: A Mixed-Methods Analysis. Presented at the 75th Annual International Communication Association Conference, Denver.
  • Foxman, M. (June, 2025). Objectivity to Fidelity: Reimagining Occupational Ideologies in Contemporary Journalism. Presented at the 75th Annual International Communication Association Conference, Denver.
  • Stevenson, H., Foxman, M., & Cohen, A. S. (2025, February). Newsgames: How Interactive Digital Games About News Affect Comprehension, Trust, Empathy, and Persuasion. Presented at Western States Communication Association 2025 Convention. Albuquerque.
  • Foxman, M., & Harris, B. C. (2023, May). “Performing the News: Boundary Work, Journalistic Roles, and Innovations in Adopting Livestreaming Journalism.” Presented at the 73rd Annual International Communication Association Conference, Toronto.
  • Foxman, M., Partin W. C., & Harris, B. (2020, May). “Recasting Twitch: Games, Platforms and New Frontiers in Journalism.” Presented at the International Communication Association 70th Annual Conference, Virtual.
  • Foxman, M. (2019, May). “A 360° Turn: Contemporary Uses and Practices of VR Journalism.” Presented at the International Communication Association 69th Annual Conference, Washington, DC.
  • Foxman, M. (2015, May). “Getting into the Game: Analyzing Playful Practices and Products in Digital Journalism.” Presented at 2015 ICA Journalism Studies Graduate Student Colloquium, San Juan.
  • Foxman, M. (2015, April). “The Playful Newsroom: Rethinking the Public Sphere through Iterative News Practices.” Presented at Extending Play: The Sequel Rutgers Media Studies Conference, New Brunswick.
  • Foxman, M. (2026, February). “Fidelity as Framework: Reimagining the Truth of Computer-Generated Images in Media and Communication.” University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
  • Foxman, M. (2025, December). “Games and the Truth: Serious Games, Newsgames, and the Pursuit of Fidelity.” New York University, New York.
  • Foxman, M. (2025, October). “Mainstreaming Artificial Intelligence: Potential Do’s and Don’ts of (Re)framing Emerging Technologies.” SPJ Oregon Annual Conference, Eugene.
  • Foxman, M. (2025, September). “Games, Entertainment & Journalism.” Daily Emerald Training Week, Eugene.
  • Foxman, M. (2024, March). “Shall I Explain the Game? Mainstreaming and Game Journalism.” North Carolina State University, Raleigh.
  • Foxman, M. (2023, December). “Mainstreaming and Game Journalism: A Book Talk.” American University Game Lab, Washington DC.
  • Nieborg, D., & Foxman, M. (2023, December). “Mainstreaming and Game Journalism: A Book Talk.” Columbia University Communications PhD Colloquium, New York.
  • Nieborg, D., & Foxman, M. (2023, December). “Mainstreaming and Game Journalism: A Book Talk.” NYU Dept. of Media, Culture and Communication, New York.
  • Foxman, M. (2023, December). “Mainstreaming and Game Journalism: A Book Talk.” NYU Game Center, New York.
  • Foxman, M. (2023, September). “Shall I Explain the Game? Mainstreaming and Game Journalism.” University of South Florida, Tampa/Virtual.
  • Foxman, M. (2022, December). “Lessons for Mainstream Journalists from Games and Virtual Worlds.” Columbia University Communications PhD Colloquium, New York.
  • Ferrer-Conill, R., Jenkins, J., Ogbebor, B., Foxman, M., & Cheruiyot, D. (2021, May). “Life after Ph.D. Advice and Nonsense from Former Candidates.” 7th Annual ICA Journalism Studies Division Graduate Student Colloquium, Virtual.
  • Foxman, M. (2020, May). “An Even Playing Field? Game Journalism’s New Platforms and Boundaries.” CAIDe Lab, Virtual.
  • Foxman, M. (2020, February). “Esports and Sports Journalism.” The Business of Esports, Eugene.
  • Foxman, M., & FitzClemen R. (2020, February). “Game Changer: Using Games and Playful Design in Communicating Climate News and Data.” SCR Winter Research Forum, Eugene.
  • Foxman, M. (2019, January). “Video Game Ethics: Violence, Utopias and the Coverage of Video Games.” Journalism and the Public Interest, Klein College of Media and Communication, Temple University, Virtual.
  • Foxman, M. (2015, February). “Play The News: A Report by Max Foxman.” The Tow Center for Digital Journalism, New York.