Poor media, rich democracy : how economics and technology affect construction of news processes

The journalism industry currently resides in a state of perpetual change, with technology and economics affecting both how journalists produce news and what news looks like when consumed. This ethnography examines the news construction processes at a digitally native news nonprofit. Gatekeeping theory, Edgar Schein's theory of culture and John McManus' market theory for news production guide this investigation of how influences affect news coverage on five levels: the individual, the communication routines, the organizational, the social institution and the social system. Through more than 360 hours of observation over a 10-week period and 18 long form, in-depth interviews with professional journalists at the St. Louis Beacon, this study found that in the absence of a traditional newsroom, new routines develop; leadership impacts the culture of a news organization more than a traditional one; a weak market orientation significantly affects news construction processes; and the Beacon engages in a new type of public journalism. These findings suggest that organizational-level influences are increasingly becoming more powerful than any other level of influence on news construction

Market Matters: How Market-Driven is \u27The Newsroom\u27?

This study examines whether the award-winning news show The Newsroom depicted on HBO practices what John McManus defined as market-driven journalism. McManus posited that organizations practicing market-driven journalism compete in the four markets he describes in his market theory for news production. This study found that The Newsroom depicts an organization that does indeed practice market-driven journalism, with results interpreted through the lens of market theory for news production

Print Versus Digital: How Medium Matters on \u27House of Cards\u27

This study utilizes textual analysis to analyze how journalists are depicted on the Netflix drama House of Cards. Through the lens of orientalism and cultivation, researchers examine how depictions of print and digital journalism would lead viewers to see digital journalists as less ethical and driven by self-gain, while also viewing technology as an impediment to quality journalism. These findings are then discussed as a means for understanding how these depictions could affect society

Gender Games: The Portrayal of Female Journalists on \u27House of Cards\u27

This textual analysis focuses on the portrayal of female journalists in House of Cards. The uneven depictions of six female journalists could have a socializing effect on the audience. The researchers argue that the character Zoe Barnes is depicted as childlike, unprofessional, and unethical, while the character Ayla Sayyad is portrayed as a dedicated watchdog journalist. The researchers then explore the ethical implications of these portrayals through the lens of social responsibility theory

\u27His Women Problem\u27: An Analysis of Gender on \u27The Newsroom\u27

This textual analysis focuses on the portrayal of female journalists on Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom, which premiered on HBO in 2012. The researchers argue that the four main female journalists are depicted as being unprofessional in the workplace, being inadequate at their jobs, and being motherly and weak. While these female journalists have impeccable credentials, stellar resumes, and a genuine interest in disseminating the best possible news, Sorkin and his fellow writers consistently depict these powerful women as inferior to the male characters. The researchers conclude that Sorkin and his creative team failed in their ethical obligation to the audience and society because the portrayals could negatively impact the perceptions of real female journalists

Pseudo Newsgathering: Analyzing Journalists’ Use of Pseudo-events on \u27The Wire\u27

This textual analysis examines the role of pseudo-events in the newsgathering process depicted on season five of The Wire. The researchers found that the press and sources construct “reality”; sources present “masks” to conceal “reality”\u27 and journalists acknowledge the absurdity of pseudo-events but cover staged events as genuine news. The overriding conclusion is that journalists fail citizens by constructing a false reality through a negotiation with powerful sources who are media- savvy enough to control depictions. These findings are then interpreted through the lens of cultivation theory

The New Advertisers: How Foundation Funding Impacts Journalism

Many journalism stakeholders have begun looking to philanthropic foundations to help newsrooms find economic sustainability. The rapidly expanding role of foundations as a revenue source for news publishers raises an important question: How do foundations exercise their influence over the newsrooms they fund? Using the hierarchy of influence model, this study utilizes more than 40 interviews with journalists at digitally native nonprofit news organizations and employees from foundations that fund nonprofit journalism to better understand the impact of foundation funding on journalistic practice. Drawing on previous scholarship exploring extra-media influence on the news industry, we argue that the impact of foundations on journalism parallels that of advertisers throughout the 20th century—with one important distinction: Journalism practitioners and researchers have long forbidden the influence from advertisers on editorial decisions, seeing the blurring of the two as inherently unethical. Outside funding from foundations, on the other hand, is often premised on editorial influence, complicating efforts by journalists to maintain the firewall between news revenue and production

Mo “Meta” Blues: How Popular Culture Can Act as Metajournalistic Discourse

Prior research into metajournalism argues that this type of discourse holds significant influence on how the journalism industry is socially constructed. Studies of how journalism is depicted in popular culture make the same claim. This study, through a textual analysis of television dramas The Wire and House of Cards, bridges these two bodies of literature and argues that journalism studies scholars should not limit their definition of metajournalistic discourse to journalists commenting on or criticizing the industry and to audience members commenting on or criticizing actual journalism. The results of the study are then interpreted through the lens of the theory of metajournalistic discourse

A Black and White Game: Racial Stereotypes in Baseball

The current study experimentally tested stereotypes and credibility of messages associated with athletes. Participants were asked to rate photos of black and white baseball players based on stereotypes identified in previous literature. They were then given an anonymous paragraph from a newspaper that featured either a stereotype consistent or inconsistent message and asked to rate the author\u27s credibility. Black players were rated significantly higher in physical strength and natural ability, which is consistent with previous literature. However, inconsistent with previous literature, white players were not rated significantly higher in intelligence and leadership. Despite these results, when measuring credibility, this study found white-consistent stereotypes to be credible, whereas black-consistent ones were not. These results are interpreted in light of Devine\u27s model of stereotype processing and in-group, out-group bias

Foul Ball: Audience-Held Stereotypes of Baseball Players

This study experimentally tested whether participants held and/or applied stereotypes of baseball players. Participants were asked to rate white, black, and Latino baseball players based on stereotypes consistently identified in previous literature. Participants saw a photo of a player and an anonymous paragraph from a newspaper that highlighted a particular stereotype. They were then asked to rate the author\u27s credibility. Black players were rated as higher in physical strength and natural ability, consistent with previous literature concerning how athletes were described. However, white and Latin players were not stereotyped. But participants rated white-consistent descriptions as credible and Latin-consistent descriptions as less credible. These results are interpreted through the prism of social identity theory