Eesti veebiajakirjanike oskuste rakendamine: hindamismudel toimetustele ja teadusuuringuteks

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsiooneSelle doktoritöö eesmärk on kaardistada oskused ja pädevused, mida veebiajakirjanikud oma töös kasutavad. See eesmärk jaguneb kolmeks alameesmärgiks: 1) uurida, milline on ajakirjanike ootus ja tegelik praktika ajakirjanike oskuste ja pädevuste rakendamisel tööprotsessis; 2) anda ülevaade oskuste sobituvusest tööprotsessiga; 3) kaardistada oskused ja pädevused, mis on spetsiifilised veebiajakirjandusele. Publikatsioonide eesmärgid, uurimisküsimused ja uurimismeetodid eraldi on erinevad, kuid neist moodustavad ühisosa ajakirjanduslikud oskused ja pädevused ning nende rakendamine tööprotsessis. Kuigi doktoritöö raames tehtud uuringute artiklid ei lähtunud ühest ja samast teoreetilisest lähenemisest, raamistab need ühtseks käsitluseks Derek Layderi sotsiaalsete domeenide teooria. See võimaldab mõtestada inimestevahelise kommunikatsiooni ning tehnoloogilise muutuse mõju tööpraktikatele. Doktoritöö osaks olevatest uuringutest selgus vastuolu ootuste ja praktika vahel. Ajakirjanikud (pidades nende all silmas toimetajaid ja reportereid) eeldavad, et veebiajakirjanikud on paljuoskuslikud, samas igapäevatöös rakendatakse väga väheseid oskusi (II ja III uurimus). Tööprotsessides domineerib konstrueeritud ajasurve – enamikul erinevatel aastatel intervjueeritud veebiajakirjanikest oli kohustus “hoida linti” ehk avaldada pidevalt (näiteks iga tunni jooksul üks) artikleid, mida ajakirjanikud nimetavad “ühikuteks”. Samas I uurimuses püüdsime leida, kas ja millise veebiajakirjandusliku sisu eest on üks auditooriumisegment valmis maksma. Teisisõnu – mida auditoorium ootab veebiajakirjanduselt. Muu hulgas selgus, et auditoorium ootab ennekõike sisukat ja põhjalikku käsitlust ning ka sisu, mille loomisel on kasutatud veebi kui platvormi spetsiifikat meisterlikult. Nii ilmnebki I uurimuse vahel vastuolu II ja III uurimuse tulemustega: veebiajakirjanduse toimetused on orienteeritud pidevale ja kiirele sisutootmisele, mis ei soodusta veebispetsiifilise või põhjalikku käsitluse loomist, kuigi auditoorium seda just kõige enam ootab. Siinse doktoritöö üks olulisemaid tulemusi on väide, et valitseb märkimisväärne erinevus selle vahel, milliseid oskusi veebiajakirjanikult eeldatakse ning milliseid oskusi ta tegelikult oma töös kasutada saab. Selle põhjus on toimetuste töökorraldus ja -praktikad. Peamine põhjus, miks veebiajakirjanikud saavad kasutada vaid piiratud hulka oskusi, on ajasurve ja nõuded avaldada pidevalt “ühikuid”. Tööpraktikad kanduvad edasi toimetuste vahel, mis omakorda teeb toimetused oma töökorralduselt ja -praktikatelt küllalt sarnaseks. Siinse töö üks väide on, et veebiajakirjanduses on võimalik rakendada mitmekülgseid ajakirjanduslikke, kuid ka tehnilisi ja teemavaldkonnale spetsiifilisi oskusi. Selleks, et kasutada veebi kui tehnilise platvormi võimalusi täiel määral, on vaja kasutada märkimisväärselt suuremat oskuste ja pädevuste paletti kui näiteks televisioonis, raadios või ajalehes. Kuid veebiajakirjanduses saab teha tööd ka nii, et ajakirjanduslikke oskusi kasutatakse väga piiratult ning see sõltub toimetuse toimetuslikest juhtimisotsustest ja ressursijaotusest. Selleks, et hinnata, milliseid oskusi konkreetses veebitoimetuses esineb ja milliseid rakendatakse, töötasin välja oskuste ja pädevuste hindamise mudeli, mida saab kasutada nii veebitoimetajate oskuste hindamisel kui ka edasistes teadusuuringutes.The aim of this doctoral thesis is to analyse the role of skills and competences in online journalistic practice in terms of aspects of 1) outlining the expectations and actual performance of journalists in relation to the work processes involved in online journalism; 2) showing the skill performance that is behind online journalistic content in relation to audience expectations; 3) charting the skills and competences that may be specific to online journalism and to develop a model for the assessment of those skills and competences. The aims, research questions and methods of the separate studies of this thesis were different, but they all concern the expectation to and performance of skills and competences of online journalists. The theoretical framework of an introductory cover article is built upon the theory of social domains developed by Derek Layder (1993; 1997). The studies of this thesis revealed a discrepancy between the expectation of skills and the real performance of skills in online newsrooms. Journalists (the term is used in this thesis to refer to both reporters and editors) expect online journalists to be multi-skilled, but in everyday practice a limited amount of skills and competences are performed (Study II and III). By restricting time as a resource and forcing quantity as a criterion, fewer and fewer journalistic skills and competences are applied. Even though Study I indicated that fragments of the audiences may expect high-quality online journalistic content that would also demand multi-skilled and expert journalistic content production, Study II and III showed that the sort of content that respondents of Study I are expecting is not produced. Neither the practices nor the skills and competences applied in Estonian online newsrooms meet the specification of specific, exclusive, in-depth, quality online journalistic content. Although I do not study journalistic roles, I argue that journalistic role performance can be platform-specific, if to study this from the perspective of performance of journalistic skills and competences. Defining who is a journalist is nothing new per se, while defining a journalist through the performance of skills is. For the assessment of skill performance in the (online) newsroom I developed a model. This model can be applied on an online newsroom, but possibly with adjustments also in newsrooms on other technical platforms. The model makes it possible to analyse the skills and competences performed on a specific platform, and trough that outline the journalistic role performance on that platform. It can also be a supportive tool for the evaluation of employment of human capital in the online newsroom, or for a newsroom on any other platform

Ajakirjandusžanrite muutumise tendentsid. Uudisžanri muutumine ajalehe Postimees näitel

This Master’s thesis Changes in the Journalistic genres. Shift in News Genre – the Example of Estonian Daily Postimees focuses on how the conventions of news paradigm are changing. At the time when newspapers are in the state of flux (Steensen 2009) it is crucial to study the practices how to create news stories that are attractive to readers. For that reason we must first take a look into the journalists’ means on work and news room practices. Based on discourse analysis I looked three news texts that were by topic hard news but differed from old news conventions by form. These texts are examples of textual hybridization at the time when texts in conventional genres are not as popular among media consumers. So I analyzed what are the elements that these hybridized texts contain. Results showed that the hybrid text, which I named feature news, contained not only borrowed elements from different genres but also elements of different levels of news discourse. Combining Bells (1991) hard news model and Steensen’s (2009) feature discourse theory I worked out a model by which I analyzed news texts in four categories: 1) authors visibility in the text, 2) narratives and stories, 3) details and descriptions and 4) emotions and opinions. The results showed that texts’ author is more visible in feature news due to the fact that he or she is often present at the scene of the event, which gives him the opportunity to see and experience details, emotions and represent descriptions of subjective selection. It also gives the opportunity to present news events from very opinionated point of view. Based on six formalized interviews I analyzed the change in newsroom practices as well as in reader preferences for “old news genre “or “feature news-story”. Six qualitative interviews with journalists were conducted in order to find out what are the factors influence journalists to ignore the rules of conventional news genre and to experiment with different journalistic formats combining news with feature. All journalist questioned are employees Estonian daily newspaper Postimees which is experimenting with news genre. Content analysis shows that of all news stories around 70 percent are feature news-stories. The reason for this shift to mixed genres is conscious course of the paper in order to see whether feature style news attract readers more, make them read hard news and also attract young readers who would stay loyal to the newspaper. The five factors that affect the reporter to choose the genre in which to write and whether to write old news or feature news were: 1) education and experience, 2) topic, 3) time available for writing, 4) pros and cons of different genres, 5) individual preferences.http://tartu.ester.ee/record=b2510249~S1*es

Alternative facts and fake news entering journalistic content production cycle

Processing information into journalistic content in contemporary news media creates a favorable environment for the distribution of misleading and fake information. This paper analyzes the distribution of alternative facts and fake news as a phenomenon characterizing post-fact society and how journalistic work processes may promote and legitimize the distribution of misleading content. The study looks into the back- and front-stage performances of journalistic information processing that are influenced by social time acceleration and the insistence of ‘click-bait’ news criteria. We used three different methods for teaching news reporting on three different groups of Estonian journalism students, and analyzed their performance using self-reflection in focus group interviews. Two groups of students, whose assignments were geared toward the outcome, focused more on front stage performances and underestimated back stage performances, e.g. the evaluation of sources, background information gathering, and fact checking. One group, which was taught news reporting as a process of information filtering, perceived and reflected both front and back stage performances. The results indicate that (online) newsroom practice, which is influenced by time pressure and the continuous requirement of new content, may force journalists to skip the stages of conventional journalistic information processing and due to that create favorable environment for publishing and distributing misleading and fake news

Debunking False Information : Investigating Journalists' Fact-Checking Skills

The study presented in this article demonstrates journalists' abilities to debunk mis-, dis- and malinformation in everyday work situations. It shows how journalists use core skills and competencies to verify the information and it describes why false information evades the journalistic filter and gets published. We combined semi-structured interviews with a think-aloud method in which 20 Estonian journalists were shown constructed episodes of false information and then asked to discuss them. Based on the results, we argue that journalists use traditional fact-checking skills in specific combinations, which is usually sufficient to validate the information. However, when under time pressure, journalists tend to trust their professional experience and take the risk of publishing unchecked information. This risk is even higher when the source seems to be trustworthy and the information is presented on an official social media platform or on the journalist's personal social media page, or if the journalist lacks more indepth knowledge about a specific topic. Video manipulation (e.g. deep fake) and decontextualised photo presentations are the most difficult for journalists to verify, and that is similar regardless of the platform the journalist specialises in. The results of this study are useful for training journalism students and practicing journalists in how to debunk false information

Ready to Hire a Freelance Journalist : The Change in Estonian Newsrooms' Willingness to Outsource Journalistic Content Production

This paper explores the change in Estonian media organizations' readiness to cooperate with freelance journalists. The interviews with editors of newsrooms of magazines, newspapers, and radio and television broadcasters were conducted in 2014 and 2019. The findings were additionally tested in the conditions of the Covid-19 crisis in 2020. The paper outlines how over the five years the editors have not only changed their perception of who freelance journalists are but how they express the readiness to outsource content from journalistic entrepreneurs. We conclude that the Estonian media market shows signs of adopting diverse collaborative forms that diverge from the journalistic field. The freelancers' concept has changed, indicating integration of journalistic and entrepreneurial roles - the entrepreneurial journalist is seen less as the odd-jobber working on commission and more of a business partner

Journalists under attack: self-censorship as an unperceived method for avoiding hostility

This study investigates journalists’ self-censorship and introduces a phenomenon of unperceived collective self-censorship that demands a combination of detection methods. We conducted a content analysis of media critique texts (N=156) that discuss attacks on Estonian journalism. These results were combined with the content analysis of journalistic roles in the news (N=2409) and a survey on journalists (N=99) and completed with semi-structured interviews (N=14). The findings showed that accusations against journalists were frequently related to discourses regarding journalists’ interventionist or watchdog roles. Juxtaposing these results with quantitative data, it became evident that when aspects of interventionist and watchdog roles were criticized in the media texts, the performance of these roles decreased in the news. However, journalists’ self-assessment does not show the perception of this change. We argue that self-censorship was created unknowingly within the newsroom. External pressures – such as politically motivated attacks on journalism – may promote unperceived self-censorship

Children and adolescents as news sources : research brief on voice and agency of minors in Swedish and Estonian journalistic regulative documents

This research briefly analyses Swedish and Estonian laws, journalistic codes of ethics, and newsroom guidelines that set the foundation for minors (not) being interviewed as news sources. Textual analysis of such documents shows that regardless of minors' right to free expression, minors are mostly addressed only in victims' roles, prioritizing protection over representation. Focus on guardian consent of under 18s is justified as protection, which also helps protect the newsroom from adverse reactions. We argue that the regulative basis of journalism reinforces the exclusion of minors from news coverage and prevents them from participating in public discussions. Therefore, the documents need updating from contemporary childhood sociology perspectives according to which minors are considered a resourceful group and distinguished into several age groups and roles, thus can be empowered to be included in news media

Is news engagement worthwhile? Studying young audiences' engagement with YouTuber-like news content

While traditional media often fails to engage young audiences with news, YouTubers' content gains popularity and attracts attention with specific stylistic practices. Based on dimensions of audience engagement and a worthwhileness approach, this article examines how young audiences engage with YouTubers' formats and genres used in news media products. Findings of five focus group interviews with Estonian teenagers show that while specific dimensions of engagement may increase due to a more relatable format, interest in traditional news content remains limited regardless of repackaging to a YouTube-intrinsic production. This article contributes to audience studies by demonstrating to news organisations that trying to engage younger audiences through mere formatting while forgetting content might not be worthwhile. However, making news more entertaining and adopting the youth's interpretation of what news is could prime young audiences to consume news through social media

Voiceless Youth - Reasons (Not) to Involve Minors in News Coverage

Previous research has shown that young people's voices are under- and misrepresented in the news. However, the editorial mechanisms behind this outcome remain largely unexplored. Drawing from the professional frame of media accountability, young people present journalism with a double challenge: to avoid harm while enabling participation. In this paper, we examine editorial mechanisms of including/excluding young people in the news in Sweden and Estonia through an overview of ethical breach cases affecting minors and a set of semi-structured interviews with editors. These investigations are set in the context of digital changes and from the perspectives of children's rights and childhood as a social construct. The interview study revealed that facilitating the freedom of expression might be an editorial ideal, but in practice, minors have limited value as news sources. While editors paid close attention to protective measures for underage interviewees, these measures were sometimes inconsistent and overly protective. Furthermore, the majority of ethical breach cases concerned children who were talked about, rather than with. Therefore, we argue that current editorial interpretations of media accountability limit young people's voices in the news, while still failing to provide an effective remedy for harm

Assessing potentials of journalists’ blogs as an instrument of media accountability in Estonia

 A distinction should be made between institutional media accountability and journalistic accountability. The latter individualizes the accountability of media organizations and enables the public to see the individual journalist with his own ideas, sense of moral values instead of a homogeneous mass that fits into the corporate journalistic system. This paper focuses on the possibilities accomplished by journalists’ blogs: are these new instruments of accountability that enable individual journalists to highlight their personal moral sensitivity and open their information processing practices to the public? Do Estonian journalists have enough incentives and autonomy to use weblogs as an opportunity to explain their professional decisions or even openly confront the editorial opinion? The analysis draws on 11 qualitative interviews conducted with Estonian journalists and editors. The findings indicate that the fading interest in weblogs is not the main reason why personal blogs of professional journalists would not function as accountability instruments. Journalists seldom describe attitudes that would characterize the “socially responsible existentialist.” A distinction should be made between institutional media accountability and journalistic accountability. The latter individualizes the accountability of media organizations and enables the public to see the individual journalist with his own ideas, sense of moral values instead of a homogeneous mass that fits into the corporate journalistic system. This paper focuses on the possibilities accomplished by journalists’ blogs: are these new instruments of accountability that enable individual journalists to highlight their personal moral sensitivity and open their information processing practices to the public? Do Estonian journalists have enough incentives and autonomy to use weblogs as an opportunity to explain their professional decisions or even openly confront the editorial opinion? The analysis draws on 11 qualitative interviews conducted with Estonian journalists and editors. The findings indicate that the fading interest in weblogs is not the main reason why personal blogs of professional journalists would not function as accountability instruments. Journalists seldom describe attitudes that would characterize the “socially responsible existentialist.&rdquo