Strategies of Newsroom Convergence: Comparing UK and Chinese Newspaper Groups Gu, Yu
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WestminsterResearch http://www.westminster.ac.uk/westminsterresearch Strategies of newsroom convergence: comparing UK and Chinese newspaper groups Gu, Yu This is an electronic version of a PhD thesis awarded by the University of Westminster. © Miss Yu Gu, 2016. The WestminsterResearch online digital archive at the University of Westminster aims to make the research output of the University available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the authors and/or copyright owners. Whilst further distribution of specific materials from within this archive is forbidden, you may freely distribute the URL of WestminsterResearch: ((http://westminsterresearch.wmin.ac.uk/). In case of abuse or copyright appearing without permission e-mail [email protected] STRATEGIES OF NEWSROOM CONVERGENCE: Comparing UK and Chinese Newspaper Groups YU GU A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Westminster for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy MARCH 2016 ABSTRACT This research examines media integration in China, choosing two Chinese newspaper groups as cases for comparative study. The study analyses the convergence strategies of these Chinese groups by reference to an Role Model of convergence developed from a literature review of studies of cases of media convergence in the UK – in particular the Guardian (GNM), Telegraph Media Group (TMG), the Daily Mail and the Times. UK cases serve to establish the characteristics, causes and consequences of different forms of convergence and formulate a model of convergence. The model will specify the levels of newsroom convergence and the sub-units of analysis which will be used to collect empirical data from Chinese News Organisations and compare their strategies, practices and results with the UK experience. The literature review shows that there is a need for more comparative studies of media convergence strategy in general, and particularly in relation to Chinese media. Therefore, the study will address a gap in the understanding of media convergence in China. For this reason, my innovations have three folds: Firstly, to develop a new and comprehensive model of media convergence and a detailed understanding of the reasons why media companies pursue differing strategies in managing convergence across a wide range of units of analysis. Secondly, this study tries to compare the multimedia strategies of media groups under radically different political systems. Since, there is no standard research method or systematic theoretical framework for the study of Newsroom Convergence, this study develops an integrated perspective. 1 The research will use the triangulation analysis of textual, field observation and interviews to explain systematically what was the newsroom structure like in the past and how did the copy flow change and why. Finally, this case study of media groups can provide an industrial model or framework for the other media groups. 2 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... 1 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ............................................................................................. 6 AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ................................................................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 1 General Study on Media Convergence: a review of the literature ........................ 21 1.1 The Case Study Approach to Convergence in Newspapers ..................................................... 22 1.1.1 Media Convergence and Multimedia Strategy ..................................................................... 22 1.1.2 Market Changes – Technology and Reading Habit .............................................................. 29 1.1.3 Market Changes and Digital Technology in UK Newspaper Industry ................................. 32 1.2 Digital and Convergence Strategies in Newspapers ................................................................ 34 Chapter 2 Traditional Newspaper Formats and Copy Flow in the Western Papers ............. 39 2.1 News Formats and News Market ............................................................................................ 39 2.2 Print Newspaper Formats in UK ............................................................................................. 45 2.2.1 Red Tops ............................................................................................................................... 47 2.2.2 Mid-market ........................................................................................................................... 47 2.2.3 ‘Serious’ Newspapers ........................................................................................................... 48 2.2.4 Summary of Newspaper Formats in UK .............................................................................. 50 2.3 ‘Copy Flow’ in Traditional Print Newspapers ......................................................................... 50 2.3.1 News Values and Story Ideas ............................................................................................... 53 2.3.2 News Format and News Sources .......................................................................................... 55 2.3.3 News Format and News Selection ....................................................................................... 57 2.3.4 News Formats, News Beats and News Jobs ......................................................................... 59 2.3.5 Integrating Concepts of Journalism Studies and Industry (How to Books) ......................... 65 2.3.6 Daily Sequence of Copy Flow ............................................................................................. 67 2.4 Copy Flow and Newsroom Physical Layout ........................................................................... 68 Chapter 3 Digital News Formats and Copy Flow ..................................................................... 74 3.1 Copy flow and Efficiency ....................................................................................................... 75 3.1.1 Bottleneck Effect on News Values ....................................................................................... 78 3.1.2 Bottleneck Effect on News Selection ................................................................................... 80 3.1.3 Bottleneck Effect on News Source ....................................................................................... 81 3.1.4 Bottleneck effect on News Beats and Communication ........................................................ 82 3.1.5 Summary: Efficiency Problems of Traditional Copy flow ................................................... 84 3.2 Digital Newspaper Formats ..................................................................................................... 85 3.2.1 Digital Formats and Copy Flow ........................................................................................... 86 3.2.2 Copy Flow-Daily Sequence ................................................................................................. 95 3.3 Copy Flow – Newsroom Physical Layout ............................................................................... 96 Chapter 4 Methodology ............................................................................................................ 100 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 100 4.2 Research Questions ............................................................................................................... 100 4.3 Research Methodology: Ideal Type and Case Study ............................................................. 102 4.3.1 The Ideal Type .................................................................................................................... 102 4.3.2 Case Study .......................................................................................................................... 105 4.4 Research Methods ................................................................................................................. 106 4.4.1 Field Observation ............................................................................................................... 106 3 4.4.2 In-depth Interviews ............................................................................................................ 107 4.5 Limitations ............................................................................................................................ 109 Chapter 5 UK Case Studies: Newsroom Convergence in Four UK Newspapers ................. 111 5.1 The Guardian and Digital Guardian: A Case of Integration and Convergence at Strategy Level ..................................................................................................................................................... 111 5.1.1 Content Market and News Formats at the Guardian .......................................................... 111 5.1.2 Copy Flow at the Guardian ................................................................................................ 117 5.1.3 Newsbeats and Copy Flow ................................................................................................. 123 5.1.4