The Democratisation of Journalism Practice for a Politically Informed Citizenry: the Capacities of New Media to Engage Citizens in Public Life
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE DEMOCRATISATION OF JOURNALISM PRACTICE FOR A POLITICALLY INFORMED CITIZENRY: THE CAPACITIES OF NEW MEDIA TO ENGAGE CITIZENS IN PUBLIC LIFE A CASE STUDY Debra Anne Adams BJ (Hons) (QUT), BA (Journ) (Monash) Submitted October 2013 For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Journalism, Media and Communications Faculty of Creative Industries Queensland University of Technology Keywords Alternative media, BBC, Blogging, Case study, Citizen journalism, Citizens, Collaboration, Commercial media, Crowdsourcing, Deliberation, Democracy, Independent, Independent news media, Interactivity, Internet, Journalism, Media, Murdoch, Networking, Networked journalism, News, News Corporation, News Limited, OhmyNews, Online, Participation, Public media, User generated content, Web 2.0. ii Abstract This research explores the impact of the World Wide Web on the practice and purpose of journalism in the period 1997–2011 by examining the ways in which traditional news media models––public service and commercial—use digital tools and technologies to inform people and to encourage them to participate in public debates about current affairs. Through case studies which showcase the various approaches to networked online news journalism, each media model is examined in terms of its own social, political and economic milieu, through a detailed look at well-known exemplars of each. The research is framed by the continuing expectation that journalism in democratic societies has a key role in ensuring citizens are informed and engaged with public affairs. The thesis finds that the use of the World Wide Web by the general population has impacted on the politics, technologies and tools of journalism in three main ways. First, it has enabled more people to share more information about more events and issues in the world than was possible before its general use. Second, traditional newsrooms have realised that the sum of public knowledge is greater than that in any news organisation. And finally, as a consequence of the previous points, it has transformed traditional news media’s approach to almost every aspect of journalism. The research identifies, describes and analyses the impact of these changes, and the benefits and challenges for each model as it transitioned from its legacy platform to the online environment. In light of the failing commercial business models and the cultural shift in the role and expectations of the audience, the thesis recommends that traditional media organisations holistically implement participatory strategies, which will necessarily place greater emphasis on civic-service. iii Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... iv Table of Figures ........................................................................................................................ vi Table of Tables ....................................................................................................................... vii Statement of Original Authorship ................................................................................... viii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. ix Chapter 1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 Hypothesis ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Methodology: Comparative International Research .............................................................. 8 Interpretive and Ethnographic Methodology ......................................................................... 12 Interviews .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Observation ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Related Works ...................................................................................................................................... 14 Chapter Outline .................................................................................................................................... 20 Chapter 2 The Politics of Journalism ................................................................... 24 The Crisis in Journalism ................................................................................................................... 27 What is journalism and what is it good for? ............................................................................ 31 DeliBerative Democracy .................................................................................................................. 38 Change of Platform Change of Direction ................................................................................... 46 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 46 Chapter 3 The Web 2.0 News Environment ....................................................... 51 The Democratisation of Journalism: A Review of OhmyNews ........................................ 55 Limitations of the WeB as a Site of Democratic Citizenship ............................................. 67 Networked Journalism ..................................................................................................................... 73 Participation in Digital Environments ....................................................................................... 76 Blogs: The Noisy All-rounders ...................................................................................................... 78 Crowdsourcing in the Digital Environment ............................................................................ 89 Editorially Controlled User-generated Content ..................................................................... 91 Social Media .......................................................................................................................................... 94 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 100 Chapter 4 British Broadcasting Corporation ................................................. 103 4.1 A Public Media Business Model ............................................................................ 105 Research and Development .......................................................................................................... 109 The Primary Role of BBC Journalism ....................................................................................... 111 Broadcast News: Transition Online .......................................................................................... 112 4.2 Technologies of Journalism: New Participatory and Deliberative Spaces ......................................................................................................................................... 119 Networked Journalism ................................................................................................................... 120 Crowdsourcing ................................................................................................................................... 127 Interactivity and User-generated Content ............................................................................. 128 Blogs: 2001–Ongoing ...................................................................................................................... 135 4.3 The Tools of Journalism: Social Media, Video and Instant Message Services and Data Analysis ............................................................................................... 143 Social Media ........................................................................................................................................ 144 The Implications of Internet Technologies on BBC Journalism .................................... 151 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 155 Chapter 5 Commercial Models of News Media .............................................. 159 5.1 News Limited Business Model .............................................................................. 168 iv 5.2 Print News: Transition Online ............................................................................. 170 5.3 Technologies of Journalism: New Participatory and Deliberative Spaces ........................................................................................................................................ 177 Social Media ........................................................................................................................................ 193 User Generated Content ................................................................................................................ 194 Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................................