The implications of communitarian thought for journalistic practice cannot be effectively explored without clarity about the term and concept of communitarianism. This essay sets communitarianism in the context of political theory and public philosophy, in which the idea has been discussed in two significantly different ways. It then explores the contrasting ways the term, concept, or both have appeared in three recent works on press theory and practice. Examination of the philosophical roots and practical implications of these works shows communitarian journalism is not always as radical a departure from current press theory and practice as the single term might suggest .
