TIM P. VOS teaches courses in American journalism history, principles of journalism, philosophy of journalism, mass communication theory and qualitative research methods in journalism. His research focuses on those factors that shape journalistic content and journalism as a social institution, paying particular attention to the theoretical issues of historical explanation. Vos is currently a lead U.S. investigator for the Worlds of Journalism Study. His research intersects with media history, media sociology, media policy and political communication.

Vos is co-author of Gatekeeping Theory (Routledge) and author of book chapters on gatekeeping and media history. His research has been published the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journal of Public Relations Research, Journalism, and Journalism Studies. He has won the James E. Murphy Top Faculty Paper Award, Leslie J. Moeller Award, an honor named for the former director of the University of Iowa School of Journalism; the Kappa Tau Alpha research award; and a top three faculty paper award from Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Vos’ dissertation at Syracuse University in New York won the All-University Doctoral Prize. He currently serves as chair of the History Division of AEJMC.

Vos earned his doctorate in mass communication from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University in 2005. He holds a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Iowa (1995) and bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and political studies from Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa (1984). Vos previously served on the communication faculty at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J.

Vos spent 12 years as a broadcast journalist, during which time he interviewed nearly every major party candidate for U.S. President and also did freelance writing for a variety of print publications.

Selected Publications

Book

• Shoemaker, P.J. & Vos, T.P. (2009). Gatekeeping Theory. New York: Routledge Press. (Portuguese translation [2011]. Teoria do gatekeeping: Selecao e construcao da noticia. Porto Alegre, Brazil: Artmed Editora SA.)

Book Chapters

• Shoemaker, P.J., Vos, T.P. & Reese, S. (2009). Journalists as gatekeepers. In K. Wahl-Jorgensen & T. Hanitzsch (Eds.), Handbook of Journalism Studies (pp. 73-87). New York: Routledge.
• Shoemaker, P.J. & Vos, T.P. (2008). Media gatekeeping. In M. B. Salwen & D.W. Stacks (Eds.), An integrated approach to communication theory and research (2nd ed.) (pp. 75-89). New York: Routledge.
• Vos, T.P. (2002). News writing structure and style. In W.D. Sloan & L.M. Parcell (Eds.) American journalism: History, principles, practices (pp. 296-305). Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company.

Recent Articles

• Vos, T.P., Craft, S. & Ashley, S. (in press). New media, old criticism: Bloggers press criticism and the journalistic field. Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism.
• Hellmueller, L., Vos, T.P. & Poepsel, M. (in press). Shifting journalistic capital? Transparency and objectivity in the 21st century. Journalism Studies.
• Vos, T.P. (2012). ‘Homo Journalisticus:’ Journalism education’s role in articulating the objectivity norm. Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism, 13(4) 435-449.
• Vos, T.P. (2011).  A mirror of the times: A history of the mirror metaphor in journalism. Journalism Studies, 12(5) 575-589.
• Vos, T.P. (2011). Explaining the origins of public relations: Logics of historical explanation. Journal of Public Relations Research, 23(2) 119-140.
• Vos, T.P. (2010). A cultural explanation for early broadcast policy: Professionalism, voluntarism, and U.S. broadcast networks. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 54(2) 179-193.