Lecture 3

News organisations and the journalist

12 October 2010

What shapes the relationship between the individual journalist and the news organisation?

Gatekeeping ProfessionalismNews OrganisationsJournalistic Routines

GatekeepingGatekeeping Theory describes the powerful process through which events are covered by the mass media, explaining how and why certain information either passes through gates, or is closed off from media attention.

Even single, seemingly trivial gatekeeping decisions it has been argued, can come together to shape an audience’s view of the world (i.e news has power..?).

Belief in the power of the individual: early gatekeeper studies

In 1949 David Manning White undertook research centred on the role of an individual wire editor ‘Mr Gates’ in press newsroom in the USA.

White found the decision making process to be 'highly subjective'.

Gatekeeper Studies

Later studies by Pamela Shoemaker argued that the individual isn’t the only gatekeeper – the whole organisation works together to act as a gatekeeper

Gatekeeping

McQuail defines gatekeeping as ‘the process by which selections are made in media work, especially decisions whether or not to admit a particular news story to pass through the “gates” of a news medium into the news channels’ (1994: 213).

21st Century Challenges to Gatekeeping Theory

The effectiveness of gatekeeping has been questioned from a number of perspectives: increasingly ‘the practice of journalism is seen to be being ‘contaminated’ from outside.

The “fourth estate” is in danger of being overwhelmed by the “fifth estate”, the growing number of “PR merchants and spin doctors” influencing the news agenda’ and undermining the reliability of the gatekeeping process itself.

Challenges to traditional gatekeeping theory Reporting speed required of

news services has also increased steadily,

This has made gatekeepers even more likely to rely on prepared material from this ‘fifth estate’ rather than spending time and money on their own, independent research

Challenges to traditional gatekeeping theoryDevelopment of the WWW has meant

that news consumers are now far less reliant on what passes through the gates of the mainstream news organisations.

They can bypass these altogether and turn directly to first-hand information providers; further, such information providers now also often include news consumers themselves.

Professionalism

Professionalism allows a balancing act to occur between:-

1) the needs of the organisation (not to be sued, provide news that is appealing to the audiences, on time, on message, within the law, objective/unbiaised etc).

2) the need for journalists to have editorial freedom when reporting, selecting and editing news stories.

Professional competences

What is a profession?A profession is an occupation, vocation or career

whereSpecialized knowledge of a subject, field, or science

isapplied.

It is usually applied to occupations that involveprolonged academic training and a formal

qualification.

Professional activity involves systematic knowledge and

proficiency.

Professions are usually regulated by professional bodies

that may set examinations of competence, act as an

Licensing authority for practitioners, and enforceadherence to an ethical code of practice.

Challenges to Professionalism:

Journalist – the detached observer

Citizen Journalist – the observer who is involved

Understanding News Organisations

We can look at a variety of elements

1) Their structure2) Controls and constraints on the

organisation3) Their goals4) Ownership5) Organisational Culture6) Newsroom cultures and structures

Organisations are complexMost organisations have mixed goals and

rarely are they all openly stated.

In organisational theory, a differentiation is often made between utilitarian and normative organisations.

The utilitarian organisation aims to produce or provide material goods or services for financial ends. Whilst the normative organisation aims to advance some value or achieve a valued condition (i.e. the BBC – based on voluntary commitment of its participants).

Challenges to understanding news organisationsThe question of ‘control’: Transparent Newsroom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLCAZYQMCg&feature=player_embedde

d

Challenges to understanding news organisations: No longer focussed on single medium.

http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/05/inside-five-newsrooms-that-hl-mencken-wouldnt-recognize/

News Organisations

How does the organisation ‘control’ the journalist?

a) Social control in the newsroom

b) The role of conflict c) Constraints d) Enculturalisation

Warren Breed (1955) - control in the newsroom

Journalists copy their organisation’s techniques and styles.

Editorial blue pencilling Reprimands Get to know why their stories

don’t get on airNewsroom gossip News conference or morning

meeting Codes of practice

Warren Breed - why journalists conform

Fear of sanctions and authority Feelings of obligation and esteem

for superiors (varies between different news organisations).

Acceptance of news policyPleasant nature of the jobGetting the news is a primary

value in itself

Journalists go through three stages according to Warren Breed

1) Cub stage

2) ‘Wiring in’ stage

3) Veteran or ‘Star’ stage

Charles Bantz (1985)– Conflict is a normal part of newsroom practice

a) Journalistic distrust b) Conflicts between professional

norms and business norms c) Conflicts between professional

norms and entertainment normsd) Controlled competition

John Soloski (1989) – Constraints on journalists

1) Editorial meetings 2) Assignments 3) Reprimands and criticism 4) Supervision

How and why do journalists conform?

Sometimes this is called ‘socialisation’

Journalistic routines?Habits are automatic routines of behavior that are repeated regularly, without thinking about them too carefully – seem common-sensical.

They are learned, not instinctive.

The person may not be conscious or aware of some routines of behaviour.

Routines have a purpose

They are ‘event-taming’

Journalists assimilate the new and

unprecedented into familiar ways of

understanding the world.

What are Professional Routines Story structure Schemes of interpretation – the routine relationship

with sources (Fishman in Berkowitz) ‘The news beat’ and ‘the news net’ Categorisation of news (Tuchman in Berkowitz) Planning Routine constraints of time, space, resources,

logistics, luck, codes, laws etc. Relationship with the audience Routine construction of story narratives Strategic ritual of objectivity

What’s the problem?

Nick Davies ‘Flat Earth News’ - journalists accept ways of doing things as natural, inevitable (PR/Agencies/pre-prepared material – churnalism argument)