Are We Close Enough? Digital Challenges to Local Journalists

European Public & Social Innovation Review, 2021

The emergence of social media altered the relation between journalism and the public in digital media and bequeathed the relationship a more active and collaborative role. As such, the general objective of this research is to characterise the dialogue between digital journalists and their audiences through social media and to describe how they perceive the consequences of this relationship. To this end, a survey was conducted with 73 digital journalists. The results display an ambivalent attitude on the part of the professionals regarding the use of social media as a tool for dialogue with their audiences. On one hand, they believe that using them is a priority need to maintain a fluid relationship with readers, although they mainly lean toward a majority one-way and limited use of them and believe that media managers have mainly perceived participation as a channel to garner audience loyalty and increase audiences.

Who are the precursors in digital journalism research in Brazil? How many thesis and dissertations were already defended about this topic? What is the profile of these publications? These are some of the questions that we intend to answer in this article which proposes to outline a preliminary survey of the studies carried out during the first decade of development in this journalistic modality in the country. Our assumption is that there are four research clusters located in the Northeast, Center-west, Southeast and South regions of the country.

Comunicação e Sociedade, 2023

The decline of local journalism, which has lost resources and influence, is reflected in phenomena such as "news deserts" that are increasingly prevalent worldwide. A recent study suggests that over half of the municipalities lack local news coverage in Portugal. This article proposes an analysis and reflection on the issues and challenges currently affecting local journalism, drawing on a review of recent literature. It is presented as the weakest link in the global media crisis, grappling with traditional business bankruptcies and platform competition. However, it is also uniquely adaptable to endure in an adverse context. The closure of local media, the struggle for survival among the remaining outlets, and the reluctance of journalists to involve audiences in defining news contribute to the erosion of proximity, albeit with some positive signs. Among these signs is a widespread acknowledgement of the significance of local journalism and a growing academic interest in this domain.

MATRIZes, 2020

At the end of 2019, researcher João Manuel Messias Canavilhas, from the Universidade da Beira Interior (Covilhã, Portugal), gave this interview during the XI International Congress of Cyberperiodism, in Bilbao, Spain. The excitement around the researcher at the event was justified. Invited to present the lecture “Explorando el periodismo transmedia en la era digital” (Exploring transmedia periodism in the digital era), he is considered one of the greatest experts on the subject in the area under Ibero-American influence. The interview intended to deepen some facets of Canavilhas’ thinking which were already known to the public regarding the theoretical concepts related to the practices of production and consumption of content on the Internet; but with an emphasis on journalism and issues concerning the profession within the scenario of an increasingly broader digital culture, as well as the matter of the exponential growth of disinformation in the digital environment. Canavilhas explored our inquiries on new possibilities for financing journalism, niche editorial positions, interactivity as a characteristic of web journalism, the relationship between content production and new means of consumption, changes and continuities within the profession, and a brief analysis of Iberian and Anglo-Saxon cyber journalism research. Vice-dean and researcher at Labcom/IFP at the Universidade da Beira Interior, where he has been teaching for almost twenty years, João Canavilhas holds a doctorate in Communication, Culture, and Education from the Universidade de Salamanca, in Spain. His research work focuses on various aspects of the relationship between Communication and new technologies, particularly in the areas of online journalism, electronic politics, social media, and journalism for mobile devices. Besides having published ten books by 2019, and dozens of chapters in books and articles in national and international scientific journals, one of his main contributions to digital journalism refers to the theory of the lying pyramid, proposed in one of his most cited works on Google Scholar: “Web journalism: From the inverted to the lying pyramid” (2006). In it, Canavilhas criticizes the inverted pyramid technique on the web, proposing that its use inhibits the creativity and freedom found in the architecture of the open news and free navigation on the Internet. Among the main points discussed in this interview, Canavilhas highlights interactivity as one of the aspects of web journalism that needs further advancement, suggesting that the investment in gamification, as well as 360º journalism, could be a possible solution for the problem. He also speaks of the need for journalists to recognize the decentralized content production present in newsrooms within communication organizations and signals that, even in the face of changes concerning the profession, the valorization of the reader and the commitment to ethics and the truth are the foundation of what journalism represents until the present days. He draws attention to the fact that “the challenge journalism faces is being where people are, and it must deal with the language that is currently most used,” that is, to adapt means of communication with the public via multimedia resources. Canavilhas also notes that, together with multimedia [skills], leadership is one of the skills that must be developed by journalists in newsrooms, integrating teams with professionals from different areas of expertise. Finally, he criticizes the fact that, although the Ibero-American scientific production is much superior to the Anglo-Saxon, “in terms of quantity and quality,” “they are two parallel worlds,” highlighting the lack of convergence among researchers within the industry.

Prosiding Nasional, 2021

During pandemic and in new normal eras, using mobile device and internet based equipments are needed for journalists. Because, since the pandemic appear, there is a big disruption in all sector as well as in the method of journalistic works. The Covid-19 has taught a new phenomenon on how the real world should be shifted into cyberspace. By using digita platforms, journalists meet the quick and low cost way to cover important news. This research aims at finding factors that caused the ease of using digital platforms to cover news by journalists. This study was conducted using a qualitative descriptive method with background problems that includes on elaborate the importance things that have to be done by journalists in covering the news. Therefore, the journalists have to always consider the journalism ethical and the elements of journalism. It is expected that the implications of this study results will improve the standard of modern communication by journalists as the press people. Keywords: communicating, information, news, press

Digital Journalism, 2020

Based on face-to-face, in-depth interviews with 31 Chilean journalists from national TV, radio, print, and online media, this study explores how news professionals negotiate their identities and media use on Twitter and Instagram. The results suggest that, overall, they use Twitter and Instagram to stay informed, report the news, engage in branding activities, and interact with their audiences, expanding the scope of their work to include new professional roles and allow for the emergence of different but not mutually exclusive digital selves. Important nuances are found based on the platform used and the journalists’ perceptions of which practices are valid and relevant. Specifically, three analytical approaches to digital selves were identified. While we found strong patterns of a reinterpretation of journalistic practices through the normalization of some traditional functions, which are represented by the “adapted …

Based on face-to-face, in-depth interviews with 31 Chilean journalists from national TV, radio, print, and online media, this study explores how news professionals negotiate their identities and media use on Twitter and Instagram. The results suggest that, overall, they use Twitter and Instagram to stay informed, report the news, engage in branding activities, and interact with their audiences, expanding the scope of their work to include new professional roles and allow for the emergence of different but not mutually exclusive digital selves. Important nuances are found based on the platform used and the journalists' perceptions of which practices are valid and relevant. Specifically, three analytical approaches to digital selves were identified. While we found strong patterns of a reinterpretation of journalistic practices through the normalization of some traditional functions, which are represented by the "adapted" approach, we also found clear elements of redefinition of journalistic work represented by the "redefiner" approach. The journalists who embrace this orientation disrupt traditional norms, merging their different selves on both platforms and using their accounts to target specific audiences. We also identified an approach close to individuals who resist the idea of mixing their professional work with social media practices, remaining "skeptical" to changes.

The digital environment makes the notion 'journalism' quite a loose concept as well as changes content consumption patterns. At present traditional media is undergoing a transformation. Both digital communication and gadgetization strengthen the role of journalism and generate such new media paradigms. The identification of a new role of journalism is the main task of this article. We would like to take a look at trends and tendencies occurring in both emerging digital environment and journalism. For this purpose the hypothesis that there are two key functions of journalism in the digital environment has been advanced. 1function of «self-identification»: Info-communication media supplements traditional media content with some content and products of new media. Digitalization eliminates differences between mass media and types of social media content. Mass communication is becoming 'customized' and 'personal niche', the most corresponding to interests and preferences of a user. An internet platform gives a reader a possibility to highlight his role by choosing a particular platform on the ground of some competitive advantage. 2 -function of «initiation»: By putting forward the function of 'initiation', we appeal to the case where the use of the term 'initiator' in relation to the rite of initiation (registration on any social network) is permissiblein reference to a person or a group of people who insisted on carrying it out.

Handbook of Research on Human Social Interaction in the Age of Mobile Devices

Despite the high profile of many social media activist efforts, such as the Arab Spring, researchers are still questioning whether these mostly online campaigns can lead to real world impact. Journalists are also asking themselves what role they fill as they watch, comment on, and cover the deluge of activism on Twitter, Facebook, and other sites. Through a comprehensive review of the literature on social capital and its intersection with the Internet and social media, this chapter suggests that social media can lead to social capital, but journalists provide the key ingredient to lead to lasting social change. Literature on the goals and aims of journalism, coupled with a review of its vital role in a community, point to the need for the context and verification that journalism provides in order for social media to transform into social capital.

Journalism and Media, 2024

This paper analyses the self-representations of Portuguese media professionals and their work practices. Utilizing data from a broader empirical study, this paper delves into the dynamics of influence among various actors within newsrooms. Based on journalists’ perceptions of the content, the methods they use to assess the quality of the news are also identified. To address these enquiries, a survey was conducted among professionals engaged in the news production process. This sample comprised 72 individuals from various sectors of newsrooms, including photographers, designers, IT professionals, social media managers, and videographers. The main results indicate that seven out of ten respondents acknowledged their reliance on colleagues in newsrooms for success. Furthermore, the data suggest that there are no significant disparities among different professionals, with personal satisfaction emerging as the primary criterion for assessing the work quality. It is notable that almost twice as many women tend to indicate the low impact of the journalist on their work compared to male respondents. Moreover, most respondents stated that there is space for hybrid professionals in newsrooms.