Introducing the Digital News System Into a TV Newsroom: a Case of SBS, South Korea
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Introducing the Digital News System into a TV Newsroom: A Case of SBS, South Korea Thesis Submitted to the University of Sheffield as a requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Jong-HaNa Department of Journalism Studies December 2011 Abstract The research examined how digital TV news technology was adopted and used by individual TV journalists within the newsroom of the Seoul Broadcasting System (hereon, SBS) that adopted a digital TV news production system for the first time in South Korea (hereon, Korea). For this purpose, this study investigates 1) the process by which SBS introduced the digital TV news production system into the SBS newsroom in terms of the organisation; 2) the process by which SBS introduced the digital TV news production system into the SBS newsroom in terms of the journalist; 3) the specific changes that occurred in the SBS newsroom after adoption of the digital TV news production system. The study conducted three pieces of field research: 33 in-depth interviews, participant observations, and a survey. Based on the field research, this study finds that firstly, although SBS managed to implement newsroom digitalisation only in technological terms, SBS had to abandon most initial goals such as introducing multimedia journalism and newsroom convergence; secondly, the SBS project team's enforcement of some impractical plans, including establishing a command room and an information support centre, caused unexpected resistance from journalists. This led to journalists becoming disillusioned with the project. As a result, SBS wasted resources such as time, energy and money. The study tried to provide ideas for other media companies, which are considering converting their analogue news production systems into digitalised systems. In addition, the study's empirical findings can provide lessons for TV stations worldwide, which plan to adopt and implement similar newsroom digitalisation. Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my research supervisor Professor Dr Ralph Negrine of the Department of Journalism Studies at the University of Sheffield, who believed in and backed the research from the start. His constant input was greatly appreciated and helped keep the research in focus. His extensive knowledge, advice and perceptive insights steered me in the right direction. He was a thorough, patient and supportive editor of every chapter, which he promptly returned. I am thankful for the valuable efforts of my viva voce examiners Dr Herman Wasserman, University of Sheffield, UK, and Professor Jane Singer, University of Iowa, USA. I think that I have been highly privileged to have such experts reading my work. Acknowledgement must be paid to a/l the SBS TV journalists in South Korea who provided me with research information, ranging from the in-depth interviews and survey, to the document analysis. ii Table of Contents Abstract Acknowledgements Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 The ENG revolution in news production 1 1.2 The digital revolution in news production 2 1.3 The new paradigm of digital news production 4 1.4 Review of existing research on digital news production 7 1.4.1 Terms used in this research 7 1.4.2 Multi-skilling 8 1.4.3 Newsroom Convergence (Multimedia Journalism) 10 1.5 The global trend of introducing the digital TV news production system 12 1.5.1 The BBC (UK): for the simultaneous access to the content on the desktop 13 1.5.2 Tele 5 (Spain): for both speed and cost-effectiveness 14 1.5.3 YLE (Finland): for full digitalisation of its news post-production operations 16 1.6 Introducing the digital TV news production system in Korea 18 1.6.1 KBS: postponed the digitalisation project again and again 18 1.6.2 MBC: the probability of the digital newsroom has been lessened 20 1.6.3 SBS: the pioneer of newsroom digitalisation in Korea 22 1.7 Gaps of previous studies and focus of this study 26 1.8 Study procedure and data sources 27 1 .9 Organisation of the thesis 28 Chapter 2 Literature Review 30 2.1 TV news digitalisation research 30 iii 2.1.1 Little attention to newsroom digitalisation 30 2.2 Research into digital newsrooms 32 2.2.1 Multi-skilling increased pressures on journalists 32 2.2.2 The path to newsroom digitalisation 35 2.2.3 Changes in job descriptions 36 2.2.4 Research on convergence 37 2.2 5 Korean research on newsroom digitalisation 38 2.3 Resistance to innovations 40 2.3.1 Resistance and newsroom digitalisation 40 2.3.2 Resistance and newsroom convergence 41 2.3.3 Resistance and multi-media journalism 44 2.3.4 Other studies regarding resistance from journalists 45 2.3.5 Strategies to overcome journalists' resistance 46 2.4 Cultural changes in newsrooms 47 2.4.1 Research into cultural change in newsrooms in relation to the introduction of new technologies 47 2.4.2 Research into cultural similarities or differences in newsrooms across different national contexts 48 2.4.3 Weaver's "Global Journalist" 50 2.4.4 Korean journalism culture 52 2.5 Diffusion of innovations: A discussion of the relevance of Rogers' work 55 2.5.1 Innovation 57 2.5.2 The communication channel 59 2.5.3 Time 59 2.5.4 The social system 66 2.5.5 Summary of the four main elements in the diffusion of innovation 67 2.6 Attributes and factors affecting Innovation diffusion 68 2.7 Implementation strategies for newsroom digitalisation 70 2.8 Results and consequences of a digital TV news system 73 2.9 Summary 78 iv Chapter 3 Research Design and Methods 79 3.1 Research questions 79 3.2 Case study 80 3.3 Pilot study 85 3.4 Field study 85 3.4.1 In-depth interviews 87 3.4.2 Questionnaire survey 91 3.4.3 Participant observation 95 3.5 Summary 98 Chapter 4 Process of Implementing the Digital TV News Production System in Terms of the Organisation 99 4.1 The adoption process of SBS 99 4.1.1 The embryonic stage of the project: two research teams and a project team 100 4.1.2 Three major goals and four minor goals 103 4.1.3 The timetable of the project 106 4.2 The innovation process at the organisational level 109 4.2.1 Agenda-setting: the first adopter of the digital news production system 110 4.2.2 Matching: the server-based, tapeless news production system 118 4.2.3 Redefining/Restructuring: most goals were relinquished 120 4.2.4 Clarifying: conflicts between the project team and journalists 126 4.2.5 Routinising: additional innovations failed to be routinised 132 4.3 Strategies for innovation 132 4.4 Summary 143 Chapter 5 Process of Implementing the Digital TV News Production System in Terms of the Journalist 144 5.1 Adoption process in terms of the SBS journalists 144 v 5.1.1 The knowledge stage: negative attitudes towards the NOS project made the SBS journalists unenthusiastic about adopting the innovation 145 5.1.2 The persuasion stage: journalists made a negative interpretation of the message of the project team 148 5.1.3 The decision stage: SBS journalists had no choice but "adoption" 149 5.1.4 The implementation stage: additional innovations caused resistance 151 5.1.5 Confirmation stage: some journalists reversed their decision to adopt the project 154 5.2 Perceived attributes of innovation 156 5.2.1 Relative advantage: good for journalists' careers 157 5.2.2 Compatibility: the project team failed in determining "felt needs" 162 5.2.3 Complexity: difficult to learn how to use the new system 166 5.2.4 Trialability: shifting the responsibility for providing enough trial opportunities onto each other 167 5.2.5 Observability: lack of interest in learning how to use the new system 168 5.3 Type of innovation decision: an authority innovation decision 169 5.4 Communication channels: the importance of the interpersonal Channel 171 5.5 Nature of social system: the structure of the newsroom impeded the diffusion 174 5.6 Extent of promotion efforts by change agents: no change agents to help the project team 177 5.7 Responses from SBS journalists and obstacles to the digital innovations: the project team encountered resistance 179 5.7.1 Resistance: a deep-seated distrust of the project 185 5.8 Summary 189 vi Chapter 6 Implications of Newsroom Digitalisation 191 6.1 Changes in the news production: saving time in picture editing 191 6.1.1 Journalists can change pictures more easily, and save time in picture editing 191 6.1.2 The editors became more concerned and watchful over picture editing 193 6.1.3 Journalists asked for a more skilled picture editor 196 6.1.4 Extensive changes to the job of news presenters 197 6.1.5 Changes to the job of camera crews and picture editors 197 6.1.6 Changes in the SSS control room 199 6.2 Changes in the SSS newsroom organisation: new jobs were introduced and redundant jobs were abolished 200 6.2.1 New jobs were introduced 200 6.2.2 Redundant jobs were abolished 201 6.3 Newsroom digitalisation and multi-skilling: no interest in multi-skilling 202 6.3.1 Unenthusiastic about multi-skilling 202 6.3.2 Lack of understanding about newsroom convergence 208 6.4 The value of journalism: newsroom digitalisation is a successful editorial strategy 210 6.4.1 A successful editorial strategy 210 6.4.2 Helpful to survive in the future 216 6.5 Summary 217 Chapter 7 Conclusions 219 7.1 Main findings of the study 219 7.1.1 Process of Implementing the Digital TV News Production System in Terms of the Organisation 219 7.1.2 The process by which SSS introduced the digital TV news production system into the SSS newsroom in terms of the journalist 222 7.1.3 Implications of newsroom digitalisation 227 7.2 Contributions 230 vii 7.3 Limitations 233 7.4 Suggestions for further research 235 Appendices 1.