Roles and digital identities on Twitter and Instagram: An ethnographic study of Chilean journalists

On the basis of a digital ethnography and in-depth interviews with Chilean journalists, this study analyzes how news professionals reinterpret and redefine their professional roles on Twitter and Instagram through their practices and discourse, building different digital identities. The results of our analyses show that Twitter and Instagram strengthen and render a more complex construction of journalists’ digital selves, allowing them to build a multi-dimensional identity that goes beyond the framework defined by the media in which they work through the performance of emerging and more traditional roles: (1) the service role becomes a resource for creating community-oriented identities and for helping to resolve individuals’ everyday challenges; (2) the celebrity role supports the construction of an identity that plays with distances and social status, distinguishing and differentiating the journalist from others; (3) the promoter role allows them to promote their work and that of their media outlets as well as products and services, which generates a material benefit and gives the practices an instrumental meaning; and (4) the joker role allows them to entertain the audience and engage in a playful and critical way of observing the world through humor, irony, and sarcasm. Journalists make these roles compatible and decide which they want to use depending on their target audience and the specific platform used, validating certain practices and media strategies. In the case of Twitter, we observe a reinterpretation of traditional practices, and on Instagram we found a clearer redefinition of journalistic roles

Modeling Individual and Organizational Effects on Chilean Journalism: A Multilevel Analysis of Professional Role Conceptions

Using a representative survey of Chilean journalists (n= 570) and data collected from each news media organization (n= 114), this paper examines individual and organizational effects on professional role conceptions via hierarchical linear modeling. The findings demonstrate the existence of significant contextual effects on the importance that journalists give to their different functions in society, although not all professional roles are equally affected in form and magnitude by the news media context. This study shows that the journalism’s more political roles are modeled for an interrelation between individual and organizational factors, where journalists’ background and beliefs tend to be more predictive than news media characteristics. In turn, professional functions linked to the need of the public and to the commercialization of news, appeared to be more tied to the structural characteristics of the news organizations where the journalists belong. The results also reveal that individual and organizational political factors predict the majority of the professional roles, while ownership and media type do not have any direct influence on the journalists’ attitudes

Journalists trapped in the Network: work routines and job situation

Las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (NTIC) han obligado al periodista tradicional a una forma diametralmente distinta de hacer periodismo. Un debate social, cultural y profesional de dimensiones exorbitantes ha surgido desde entonces: tanto es así que Martínez Albertos, entre otros autores, se ha atrevido a profetizar que el periodismo tradicional y los periódicos de papel desaparecerán en el 2020. Aunque no compartimos dichos presagios, es un hecho que esta nueva plataforma ha abierto un campo laboral para los recién egresados de las Facultades de Comunicación, periodistas sin trabajo e incluso muchos becarios aún estudiantes. No obstante, las condiciones laborales que ofrece este formato digital son precarias y preocupantes. Las cifras oficiales conocidas hasta hoy lo demuestran, indicándonos que dicha precariedad va en aumento, lo cual nos obliga a efectuar una reflexión sobre el futuro de nuestra profesión. Producto de la gran demanda de puestos de trabajo, muchos portales on - line hacen caso omiso sobre políticas laborales mínimas que dignifiquen el trabajo del periodista y lo comprometan con su profesión.The new information and communication technologies (NICT) have forced the traditional journalist to assume a diametrically distinct manner of journalism. A social, cultural and professional debate of exorbitant dimensions has emerged to such an extent that Martínez Albertos, among other authors, has dared to prophesize that traditional paper journalism will disappear by 2020. Even when we do not share these fears, it is a fact that this new platform has opened a field of work for recent graduates from Communication Faculties, unemployed journalists and even many students. However, the work conditions offered by this digital format are precarious and troubling. The official figures indicate that this precariousness is increasing—a fact that forces us to reflect on the future of our profession. Product of the great demand for jobs, there are on - line sites that ignore the minimal labor that dignify a journalist’s work confirming their commitment with the profession

Periodistas atrapados en la Red: rutinas de trabajo y situación laboral

The new information and communication technologies (NICT) have forced the traditional journalist to assume a diametrically distinct manner of journalism. A social, cultural and professional debate of exorbitant dimensions has emerged to such an extent that Martínez Albertos, among other authors, has dared to prophesize that traditional paper journalism will disappear by 2020. Even when we do not share these fears, it is a fact that this new platform has opened a field of work for recent graduates from Communication Faculties, unemployed journalists and even many students. However, the work conditions offered by this digital format are precarious and troubling. The official figures indicate that this precariousness is increasing—a fact that forces us to reflect on the future of our profession. Product of the great demand for jobs, there are on – line sites that ignore the minimal labor that dignify a journalist’s work confirming their commitment with the profession.Las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (NTIC) han obligado al periodista tradicional a una forma diametralmente distinta de hacer periodismo. Un debate social, cultural y profesional de dimensiones exorbitantes ha surgido desde entonces: tanto es así que Martínez Albertos, entre otros autores, se ha atrevido a profetizar que el periodismo tradicional y los periódicos de papel desaparecerán en el 2020. Aunque no compartimos dichos presagios, es un hecho que esta nueva plataforma ha abierto un campo laboral para los recién egresados de las Facultades de Comunicación, periodistas sin trabajo e incluso muchos becarios aún estudiantes. No obstante, las condiciones laborales que ofrece este formato digital son precarias y preocupantes. Las cifras oficiales conocidas hasta hoy lo demuestran, indicándonos que dicha precariedad va en aumento, lo cual nos obliga a efectuar una reflexión sobre el futuro de nuestra profesión. Producto de la gran demanda de puestos de trabajo, muchos portales on – line hacen caso omiso sobre políticas laborales mínimas que dignifiquen el trabajo del periodista y lo comprometan con su profesión

Origens, problemas e desencontros na investigação sobre o jornalista latino-americano

Este trabalho realiza uma revisão bibliográfica desde os inícios da investigação sobre a profissão jornalística nos Estados Unidos e na Europa, para em seguida analisar o lugar e a evolução que esta vem tendo na agenda latino-americana durante as últimas décadas, assim como as dificuldades que hoje apresentam a sistematização deste tipo de estudos.Conclui-se que, embora a produtividade ao redor do jornalista latino-americano tenha aumentado consideravelmente, existem fortes desacordos conceituais dentro da academia, assim como uma carência de liderança, de vinculação entre os investigadores e uma falta de análise sobre a natureza interdisciplinar do jornalismo, impedindo a cristalização desta linha de investigação. Considera-se que esta situação não mudará, até que se instaure um debate profundo sobre quais são as definições válidas para efetuar e em seguida projetar resultados sobre o jornalista a toda América Latina.Ce travail réalise une révision bibliographique à partir du début de la recherche sur la profession de journaliste aux Etats-Unis et en Europe, pour ensuite analyser la place et l'évolution de cette dernière dans l'agenda latino-américain durant les dernières décades, ainsi que les difficultés actuelles de la systématisation de ce genre d'étude.En conclusion, bien que la productivité du journaliste latino-américain ait considérablement augmenté, il existe, au niveau académique, d'importants désaccords conceptuels, ainsi qu'une absence d'orientation, de lien à établir entre les chercheurs, et un manque d'analyse de la nature interdisciplinaire du journalisme, faisant ainsi obstacle à la cristallisation de cette ligne de recherche. Cette situation ne changera pas, si un débat en profondeur n'est pas instauré sur les définitions valables pour effectuer et généraliser ensuite les résultas pour le journaliste de toute l'Amérique Latine.Este trabajo efectúa una revisión bibliográfica desde los inicios de la investigación sobre la profesión periodística en Estados Unidos y Europa, para luego analizar el lugar y evolución que ésta ha tenido en la agenda latinoamericana a lo largo de las últimas décadas, así como las dificultades que hoy presenta la sistematización de este tipo de estudios.Se concluye que aunque la productividad en torno al periodista latinoamericano ha aumentado considerablemente, existen fuertes desacuerdos conceptuales dentro de la academia, así como una carencia de liderazgo, de vinculación entre los investigadores y una falta de análisis en torno a la naturaleza interdisciplinaria del periodismo, impidiendo la cristalización de esta línea de investigación. Se afirma que esta situación no cambiará, hasta que se instaure un debate profundo en torno a cuáles son las definiciones válidas para efectuar y luego extrapolar los resultados sobre el periodismo en toda Latinoamérica.This work involved reviewing the bibliography from the beginning of research into journalism in the USA and Europe so that its place and evolution on the Latin-American agenda throughout the last few decades could be analysed, as well as the difficulties presented by systematising this type of study today.It was concluded that even though Latin-American journalists' productivity has considerably increased, there are strong conceptual disagreements within the academic world and a lack of leadership and involvement amongst investigators, accompanied by the lack of analysis regarding journalism's interdisciplinary nature, thereby impeding developing this line of research. It was considered that this situation will not change until ongoing profound debate is established regarding which definitions are valid in line with leading to results concerning journalists throughout Latin-America and then extrapolating them

Redefining comparative analyses of media systems from the perspective of new democracies

Based on one of the most influential proposals intended to analyze media systems from a comparative perspective (Hallin and Mancini, 2004) as well as the criticism it has attracted, this work suggests that the manner in which the different elements of media systems have been operationalized has proven insufficient in the task of contextualizing predominant models of journalistic role performance in parts of the world other than the West. By examining the political, economic, social, cultural and technological factors that have defined the development of journalism in Latin American countries, and specifically in Chile, we propose both widening and redefining the aspects that have to be considered in order to analyze media systems in a comparative fashion, including the reality of new democracies. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basado en una de las propuestas más influyentes destinada a analizar los sistemas de medios de comunicación desde una perspectiva comparativa (Hallin y Mancini, 2004), así como en las críticas que ha atraído, este trabajo sugiere que la manera en que han sido puestos a funcionar los diferentes elementos de los sistemas de los medios de comunicación ha demostrado ser insuficiente en la tarea de contextualizar los modelos predominantes de desempeño del rol periodístico en algunas partes del mundo más allá de Occidente. Mediante el examen de los factores políticos, económicos, sociales, culturales y tecnológicos que han definido el desarrollo del periodismo en los países de América Latina, y específicamente en Chile, se propone la ampliación y redefinición de los aspectos que deben tenerse en cuenta con el fin de analizar los sistemas de medios de comunicación de manera comparativa, incluyendo la realidad de las nuevas democracias

Estructura de la asociatividad profesional en el campo periodístico: el caso de Chile

..