Articles by jenny wiik
The last decades in the development of news production have accentuated the need for increased ma... more The last decades in the development of news production have accentuated the need for increased managerial skills among editorial leaders. This need is followed by discursive notions connecting management levels across sectors, including the sector of news production. The managerial ideology features globalization of values and economy in the labor market, as well as in the area of communication, and promotes streamlining of organizational models in line with a business thinking common to several industries. This kind of management ideology has implications for all levels of news work and, above all, emphasizes audience orientation to a further extent than before. Our article focuses on how editorial leaders in Sweden perceive their own role as leaders to be changing and why. It does so by drawing empirical support from a mixed methods design of three surveys of editors-in-chief in Sweden, conducted in 2005, 2010, and 2011. The result reveals that editorial leaders are strongly embracing values characterized by managerialism by bringing the key values of profit, efficiency, and leadership into the newsroom. They also perceive their managerial influence to have increased in the newsroom. As this kind of leadership is rather new to Scandinavian news media, the article discusses what kind of implications this new form of leadership may have for news organizations in facing new challenges.
Despite the current insecurity within the journalistic profession, there is still some common gro... more Despite the current insecurity within the journalistic profession, there is still some common ground uniting news workers: A shared perception of the role of journalism in Western societies – a social agreement between journalists, media owners and audiences as to what good journalism is. Research has shown that this role rests heavily upon notions of journalists as watchdogs of democracy, and sometimes as pedagogues and interpreters of complex events. However, this role is not static in any sense; it changes along with the news industry and surrounding society. The question is, how? This article answers this question by examining the case of Swedish journalists. Empirical support is drawn from the Swedish Journalist Survey, which has been conducted five times between 1989 and 2011, thus providing a unique possibility to follow changes to a journalistic body over time. The results indicate the far-reaching adaptability of Swedish journalists to new conditions; a liberalization of ideals, such that ideals of objectivity and neutrality are strengthening at a rather quick pace. However, the result also show how they to close ranks behind the watchdog ideal, which could be seen as an act of resistance.
Journalism Practice
The development of news production over the last decade has accentuated the negotiation between t... more The development of news production over the last decade has accentuated the negotiation between two forces of change: professional discourse and managerial discourse. The first characterizes journalistic identity by normative ideals and serves to legitimize journalists as an autonomous and self-regulating group. Managerial discourse, on the other hand, expresses the globalization of values and economy in the labour market, as well as in the area of communication, streamlining organizational models, and suggesting a business thinking common to several industries, in addition to an evolving view of the individual as an entrepreneur. Managerialism has implications for all levels of news work and, above all, emphasizes audience orientation, as the will of the audience becomes imperative. It promotes a form of leadership rather new to Scandinavian news organizations by strongly bringing the key values of profit and efficiency to the negotiating table. This article focuses on the constant negotiation between discourses by drawing empirical support from three survey studies of editors-in-chief and journalists in Sweden. It describes how editors-in-chief perceive their own role to be changing and why, and attempts to relate the new forms of leadership to current professional developments in journalism.
International Review of Sociology, Jan 1, 2009
Is journalism going through 'de-professionalization' or is it just entering a new phase - taking ... more Is journalism going through 'de-professionalization' or is it just entering a new phase - taking a different shape? And what is the meaning of professional ideals such as scrutiny and autonomy in these processes? My article aims at analysing those matters, focusing on the case of Swedish journalists. Empirical support is drawn from a national survey conducted four times since 1989 on the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Gothenburg University. Questions about journalists' perceptions of various ideals offer excellent opportunities to explore possible homogenization vs. fragmentation, as well as what the attitudinal dimensions actually say about the professional content of Swedish journalism. The results are analysed by the conceptualization of Bourdieu's field theory, along with current professional theory, and point at a possible separation of professional levels: where a few ideals constitute an all-embracing umbrella of professional ideology, while the flora of attitudes below is more diverse and dependent on factors of organization, gender and age. The professional ideals may furthermore be regarded as a form of cultural capital, used as legitimizing tools in journalism's struggle for maintaining status quo. The main conclusion is that journalism is not de-professionalizing on an ideological level, but going through a re-formation. Traditional journalistic ideals have attained increasing support over time and the efforts to fix professional boundaries are fierce. This does not mean that the democratic functions of journalism should not be guarded: as the ideals start taking discursive shapes, they are also increasingly bound to clash with praxis.
Books and chapters by jenny wiik
I boken Urban express (2015) beskriver Nordström och Schlingman urbaniseringen som ett av de mest... more I boken Urban express (2015) beskriver Nordström och Schlingman urbaniseringen som ett av de mest centrala utvecklingsmönstren i vår samtid och att det är i staden som innovation och nya idéer uppstår. Boverket spår i sin Vision för Sverige 2025 att ännu fler unga människor kommer att föredra stadsmiljöerna framför glesbyggden i framtiden, och konstaterar även att folk numera väljer att bo kvar i stan trots att de skaffar barn (Boverket 2015). Denna prognos stöds av SCB som menar att Sveriges befolkning koncentreras alltmer till Stockholm, Göteborg och Malmö. Redan idag bor drygt 1,7 miljoner människor i de kommunerna och antalet beräknas öka med 37 procent under de närmaste 40 åren. I glesbygdskommunerna väntas däremot folkmängden minska med 10 procent .
This chapter focuses on the internal mechanisms of journalists struggling to maintain profession... more This chapter focuses on the internal mechanisms of journalists struggling to maintain professional boundaries, while the journalistic field as a whole is becoming increasingly insecure and fragmented. The question is, can we rightly regard journalism as one cohesive profession any more, or is it in fact falling apart into smaller fractions and sub-identities? Drawing empirically upon the case of Sweden, this chapter explores how changes of working conditions in newsrooms are tied to transformations in the professional identity of journalists, as well as to generational variations in the understanding of what journalism really is.
Barn och unga i den digitala mediekulturen, Jan 1, 2010
SwePub titelinformation: Möt mig!
Is journalism going through ‘de-professionalization’ or is it just entering a new phase – taking ... more Is journalism going through ‘de-professionalization’ or is it just entering a new phase – taking a different shape? And what is the meaning of professional ideals such as scrutiny and autonomy in these processes?
In my thesis, “Journalism in Transition”, I discuss these matters, focusing on the case of Swedish journalists. Empirical support is drawn from a national survey conducted five times since 1989 on the Dept. of Journalism, Media and Communication at the University Gothenburg (JMG). Questions about journalists’ perceptions of various ideals offer excellent opportunities to explore possible homogenization vs. fragmentation, and what the attitudinal dimensions actually say about the professional content of Swedish journalism.
The results are analyzed by the conceptualization of Bourdieu’s field theory, along with current professional theory, and point at a possible separation of professional levels where a few ideals constitute an over-arching professional identity, while the flora of attitudes below is more diverse and dependent on factors of organizational affiliation, gender and age. Professional ideals may furthermore be regarded as a form of symbolic capital, used as legitimizing tools in journalism’s struggle for maintaining status quo.
A main conclusion is that journalism is not de-professionalizing on ideological level, but going through a re-formation. Traditional journalistic ideals have attained increasing support over time and the efforts to fix professional boundaries are fierce. These boundaries are, however, subjects of negotiation: In the professional identity formation of Swedish journalists between 1989-2005 I also detect and increasing orientation towards liberal- and market values, which I interpret as the incorporation of organizational values into the professional identity – thereby legitimizing those.
A second conclusion is that social attributes such as gender, age and formal qualifications mean less to the professional identity formation in 2005 than they did in 1989. The reason for this is the increasing homogenization of journalistic ideals – all journalists think increasingly alike, no matter social background. Factors still being highly relevant, though, are gender, journalistic training and place of work. Those factors determine journalists’ positions in the field and consequently form their professional identities into various shapes.
Keywords: Journalism, professionalism, professional identity, fragmentation, homogenization, Bourdieu, professional discourse, journalistic field, gender identity, organizational identity, managerial discourse
Papers by jenny wiik
En France, la profession de journaliste, massivement masculine jusqu'aux années 1960-1970, s&... more En France, la profession de journaliste, massivement masculine jusqu'aux années 1960-1970, s'est progressivement féminisée, les femmes représentant 43% des professionnels des médias en 2009. Cet ouvrage collectif questionne les modalités et les enjeux de ce processus de féminisation en Europe et interroge les rapports de genre qui se jouent dans le fonctionnement des rédactions et le traitement de l'information. Il s'appuie sur des terrains d'enquête variés, proposés par une douzaine d'auteur-e-s de disciplines et de pays différents. L'enjeu est d'abord de dégager les diverses logiques qui contribuent à expliquer la féminisation du métier : Entrée des femmes par le haut ou par le bas ? Signe de dévaluation du métier ou de professionnalisation ? Phénomène autonome ou articulé à d'autres évolutions de la profession ? Progrès vers l'égalité ou reproduction de formes de spécialisation et de ségrégation sexuées ? En effet, on constate dans tous les pays européens que les hommes et les femmes sont inégalement répartis selon les secteurs des médias, les spécialités journalistiques et selon les niveaux hiérarchiques. Il s'agit ici d'expliquer ces écarts de manière dynamique, en se plongeant, au cœur des rédactions, du travail des journalistes, des interactions concrètes et des positionnements des hommes et des femmes. Comment se produisent et se déplacent, dans un même mouvement, les processus de ségrégation horizontale (spécialisation dans des thématiques dites féminines) et de ségrégation verticale (accès restreint aux responsabilités) ? Enfin, les auteurs s'interrogent sur l'existence et les contours éventuels d'un journalisme « au féminin ». Quelle est la part des assignations subies et reproduites, des inventions de nouvelles manières de traiter l'information, de l'adaptation à des règles et routines professionnelles masculines ? Quelles sont les diverses stratégies, positionnements professionnels et rapports au genre des hommes et des femmes ? Refusant une définition essentialiste des identités de genre, les auteur-e-s s'efforcent ainsi de cerner, à travers la diversité des terrains étudiés, les mécanismes sociaux, organisationnels, professionnels par lesquels se construisent les cadres d'exercice du journalisme selon des logiques de genre
The rise and control of artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting society as a whole. It follows ... more The rise and control of artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting society as a whole. It follows that AI coverage must inform audiences about the implication of the technology itself, beyond journalism. For instance, reporting on the power dynamics in the changing relationship between companies, authorities, citizens and computer chips, and between data and algorithms. While many AI deployments serve public interest, journalists also need insight and expertise to alert about aspects like exclusions, unequal benefits, and violations of human rights. As part of its journalism education series, UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) has supported the World Journalism Education Council in commissioning this handbook. The aim is to inspire and empower so that journalism educators can help both journalism students and working journalists do justice to one of the major issues of our times. The handbook covers: Understanding machine intelligence and ide...
Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies, 2016
Journalistic work and organizations are currently undergoing rapid change. One of the most striki... more Journalistic work and organizations are currently undergoing rapid change. One of the most striking features of this transformation seems to be an increasing influence of managerial discourse in the newsroom. Editorial leadership is proving to be more professionalized, standardized and accentuated than before, which could affect journalistic autonomy and status. In this article we investigate the shifting power balance in news production by focusing on the management–staff relationship in Swedish newspapers and discussing the possible consequences of this development for the professional autonomy and status of journalists. Empirical support is drawn from two national surveys of Swedish journalists and a small interview study of Swedish newspaper journalists, and the data is analysed within a framework of professional and organizational theory. The results indicate a move towards managerial dominance in the newsroom during the last decade, but also that journalists to some extent seem to approve of this development. Even so, the results may be another indication of a de-professionalization of journalists to the benefit of the managerial group in the news business. The article aims at contributing to a further understanding of the changing organizational behaviour of news companies and how journalism practices in the newsroom are being challenged by an excessive growth of managerialism, which not only inhibit and limit journalistic professionalism, but also leads to a loss of democracy.
Medierna Och Demokratin, 2012
Journalism and the Press, Rennes, 2008
… crossroads: limits and transgressions. IV International …, 2007
Swedish media have for a long time been characterised by a strong public service tradition, stres... more Swedish media have for a long time been characterised by a strong public service tradition, stressing the democratic role of journalism. However, the last two decades the news production has changed dramatically. An explosion of new market driven channels, new technology and ...
Paper presenterat vid ECREAs 2nd European …, 2008
Le journalisme au féminin
Journalism Practice, 2021
The up-and-coming phenomenon of open source in journalism lead by non-journalistic actors like Ai... more The up-and-coming phenomenon of open source in journalism lead by non-journalistic actors like Airwars, Bellingcat, Forensic Architecture and Syrian Archive has brought an entirely new dynamic to i...
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Articles by jenny wiik
Books and chapters by jenny wiik
In my thesis, “Journalism in Transition”, I discuss these matters, focusing on the case of Swedish journalists. Empirical support is drawn from a national survey conducted five times since 1989 on the Dept. of Journalism, Media and Communication at the University Gothenburg (JMG). Questions about journalists’ perceptions of various ideals offer excellent opportunities to explore possible homogenization vs. fragmentation, and what the attitudinal dimensions actually say about the professional content of Swedish journalism.
The results are analyzed by the conceptualization of Bourdieu’s field theory, along with current professional theory, and point at a possible separation of professional levels where a few ideals constitute an over-arching professional identity, while the flora of attitudes below is more diverse and dependent on factors of organizational affiliation, gender and age. Professional ideals may furthermore be regarded as a form of symbolic capital, used as legitimizing tools in journalism’s struggle for maintaining status quo.
A main conclusion is that journalism is not de-professionalizing on ideological level, but going through a re-formation. Traditional journalistic ideals have attained increasing support over time and the efforts to fix professional boundaries are fierce. These boundaries are, however, subjects of negotiation: In the professional identity formation of Swedish journalists between 1989-2005 I also detect and increasing orientation towards liberal- and market values, which I interpret as the incorporation of organizational values into the professional identity – thereby legitimizing those.
A second conclusion is that social attributes such as gender, age and formal qualifications mean less to the professional identity formation in 2005 than they did in 1989. The reason for this is the increasing homogenization of journalistic ideals – all journalists think increasingly alike, no matter social background. Factors still being highly relevant, though, are gender, journalistic training and place of work. Those factors determine journalists’ positions in the field and consequently form their professional identities into various shapes.
Keywords: Journalism, professionalism, professional identity, fragmentation, homogenization, Bourdieu, professional discourse, journalistic field, gender identity, organizational identity, managerial discourse
Papers by jenny wiik
In my thesis, “Journalism in Transition”, I discuss these matters, focusing on the case of Swedish journalists. Empirical support is drawn from a national survey conducted five times since 1989 on the Dept. of Journalism, Media and Communication at the University Gothenburg (JMG). Questions about journalists’ perceptions of various ideals offer excellent opportunities to explore possible homogenization vs. fragmentation, and what the attitudinal dimensions actually say about the professional content of Swedish journalism.
The results are analyzed by the conceptualization of Bourdieu’s field theory, along with current professional theory, and point at a possible separation of professional levels where a few ideals constitute an over-arching professional identity, while the flora of attitudes below is more diverse and dependent on factors of organizational affiliation, gender and age. Professional ideals may furthermore be regarded as a form of symbolic capital, used as legitimizing tools in journalism’s struggle for maintaining status quo.
A main conclusion is that journalism is not de-professionalizing on ideological level, but going through a re-formation. Traditional journalistic ideals have attained increasing support over time and the efforts to fix professional boundaries are fierce. These boundaries are, however, subjects of negotiation: In the professional identity formation of Swedish journalists between 1989-2005 I also detect and increasing orientation towards liberal- and market values, which I interpret as the incorporation of organizational values into the professional identity – thereby legitimizing those.
A second conclusion is that social attributes such as gender, age and formal qualifications mean less to the professional identity formation in 2005 than they did in 1989. The reason for this is the increasing homogenization of journalistic ideals – all journalists think increasingly alike, no matter social background. Factors still being highly relevant, though, are gender, journalistic training and place of work. Those factors determine journalists’ positions in the field and consequently form their professional identities into various shapes.
Keywords: Journalism, professionalism, professional identity, fragmentation, homogenization, Bourdieu, professional discourse, journalistic field, gender identity, organizational identity, managerial discourse
Knowing the past is the key to understand the future, which is why this paper goes back in time to explore the professional narrative as told by journalists themselves in the union organ Journalisten. The question is: how is the journalistic role constructed in Journalisten during the period of 1960-2010? The paper is a presentation of an ongoing research project based on content analysis of the Swedish trade organ over time, where the result will be analysed within the theoretical frame of contemporary professional theory.
Book download: http://www.medieutredningen.se/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SOU_2016_30_webb.pdf
Conference presentation at MEG 2016 in Gothenburg April 7th: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qQvs9TMkAM&feature=youtu.be