The London School of Economics and Political Science Journalists with Cosmopolitan Skills: How do journalists at the New Yorker and Economist Group perceive themselves, their audience and their work in the age of gloBalisation? Marina Gerner A thesis suBmitted to the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy London, July 2015 1 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the Best of my Belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis contains 81.198 words. 2 Abstract Few professions are changing as rapidly or fundamentally as journalism. Core to these changes is the role of globalisation and transformations driven by the interaction between the changing requirements, expectations, audiences and technologies with which journalists now work. In understanding this global dimension to modern journalism, a valuable lens is research into an area in which the international has always mattered, that of foreign correspondents. HannerZ (2004) attriButed four features to this group: (1) moBility, (2) the skill of navigating various cultures; (3) the appreciation of difference; and (4) an awareness of diverse audiences. This study explores journalistic transformation in a gloBal age By investigating whether cosmopolitan skills that have previously been attributed to the work of foreign correspondents now apply to journalists more generally. Traditionally, journalism research has compared journalists within national categories. But the critique of methodological nationalism (Beck, 2008; Beck and Beck-Gernsheim, 2008; Beck and Sznaider, 2006) demands research into journalists that goes beyond national confines. By focusing on London and New York, as global journalistic centers, this thesis examines the views of editors through the conceptual frameworks of identity, autonomy and gloBalisation, while avoiding national categorisation. Thirty-one in-depth expert interviews were conducted with journalists from a range of genders, backgrounds, levels, ages and positions – to investigate how editors, who are journalists with a degree of autonomy, are negotiating the new gloBal circumstances within which they work. The working lives of journalists were investigated on three levels: (1) the level of the individual; (2) the level of their news media organisation and (3) the societal level. The study’s findings reflect to the prevalence of cosmopolitan skills, which have previously Been attriButed to foreign correspondents, among these journalists. However, the use and emergence of these skills are still restricted By identities, lack of autonomy and the general processes of consequences of gloBalisation. Key words: journalism research; gloBalisation; cosmopolitan skills; autonomy; social identity; qualitative research 3 Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to thank my supervisor Professor Terhi Rantanen for her continuous encouragement, support and open mind to my ideas over the last years. Our many intellectual discussions have enriched my work, and for that I am grateful. Dr Neil McLean, the “teacher of teachers”, has Been indispensaBle and a huge source of wisdom and insight during the final year of my PhD. In the Department of Media and Communications I am indeBted to Dr Shani Orgad and Dr Myria Georgiou whose advice was very valuaBle. Professor Sonia Livingstone has Been a source of inspiration and support throughout my PhD. Thanks to Professor Charlie Beckett for inviting me to teach at the International Journalism summer school. It was an immense privilege to meet Professor Ulrich Beck in the beginning of my PhD. He was exceptionally kind and generous with his time and thoughts whenever we met and I hope to honour his memory with this dissertation. Without the generous financial support of the Gerhard C. Starck Foundation I could not have done this PhD. I am immensely grateful for the legacy of Mr and Mrs Starck, who were fascinated By the intellectual and artistic wealth of Jewish life in Germany Before 1933. They strongly Believed that young Jewish students from Germany have an important societal contribution to make. I would also like to thank Charlotte Knobloch who has been a source of inspiration ever since she first interviewed me for this scholarship. I am grateful for all the support I received from the LSE, which included several LSE Research Studentships and two graduate teaching positions. I am very grateful to all my interviewees in London and New York, who have granted me access to their veneraBle institutions and insights into their Brilliant minds. It has been a huge privilege to be a visiting scholar at Columbia University. A plaque in the Journalism School’s entry hall quotes Joseph PulitZer who said: “The power to mould the future of the RepuBlic will be in the hands of the journalists of future generations." Once you get past the entry hall and into the classrooms it becomes clear that the plaque lives up to its promise. I would like to thank Professor Gil Eyal at the department of sociology for the invitation and for his advice throughout my time in New York. I have learnt a great deal from the work of Professor Paula Span, Professor Helen Benedict and Professor John Bennet. I would like to thank Professor Michael Schudson for inviting me to join the research discussion forum and Professor Victor Navasky for his many introductions and for sharing his thoughts on the “matters of opinion”. Many thanks to the Santander Travel Fund for enabling me to go on this journey. I am lucky to call Dr Alla Brodski my best friend. Her PhD life’s ups and downs have paralleled mine, despite her thesis Being aBout eyes and Brains. For valuaBle comments and sharp insights I am thanking my dear Raphael Cohen, Dr Elly Steinberg, Jessica Benhamou, Michelle Fan and also Gaby Charnas, who has commented on my thesis from the other end of the world. It has Been a great pleasure working with my colleagues Xiaoxi Zhu, Gregory Asmolov, Keren Darmon, Tal Morse, Ben de la Pava and Daniel Kardefelt Winther, our many conversations over lunch and coffee have Been a joy. I would like to thank the Davis family and the ABerBach family for welcoming me into their homes where I have spent many magical Friday night dinners and festivals – I look forward to many more. I am hugely grateful to my editors, who have continued to Believe that “for someone that academic” I remain a journalist and writer. Most of all, I would like to thank my family, for whom education is the highest good on Earth. Thank you for your infinite love, encouragement, support and inspiration. I dedicate this dissertation to my grandparents who wrote their dissertations despite all the discrimination they faced in the Soviet Union. They tell me it’s a pleasure for them to know that their granddaughter can pursue a PhD in a country where she’s free to think and write without censorship and discrimination. Although I have not invented any new car safety control systems like my grandfather nor created any economic models like my grandmother, I am glad they find my interest in everything "cosmopolitan" amusing. After all, the term "cosmopolitan" was used against people like them for Being Jewish and for thinking independently in the Soviet era. I am truly grateful that they have encouraged me to take this path. 4 To my grandparents, With love and thanks. 5 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 9 1.2. Research oBjectives and expected contriBution ...................................................................... 11 1.2. Motivations and research question .......................................................................................... 12 1.3. Structure of the dissertation .................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2: Theoretical premises for studying global journalists ......................................................... 16 2.1. Journalism in transition ............................................................................................................ 17 2.1.1. GloBalisation and journalism ............................................................................................ 18 2.1.2. Digitalisation and journalism ............................................................................................ 19 2.1.3. Audiences and journalism ................................................................................................. 22 2.1.4. Diversification and journalism .......................................................................................... 23 2.2. Limitations of previous journalism research in relation to this study ...................................... 26 2.2.1. Previous journalism research has remained within national frames ................................ 26 2.2.2. Previous journalism