TWITTER AND THE JOURNALISTIC FIELD: HOW THE GROWTH OF A NEW(S) MEDIUM IS TRANSFORMING JOURNALISM A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School At the University of Missouri In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy By STEPHEN R. BARNARD Dr. Victoria Johnson, Dissertation Supervisor JULY 2012 © Copyright by Stephen R. Barnard 2012 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled TWITTER AND THE JOURNALISTIC FIELD: HOW THE GROWTH OF A NEW(S) MEDIUM IS TRANSFORMING JOURNALISM Presented by Stephen R. Barnard A candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy And hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Professor Victoria Johnson Professor Clarence Y.H. Lo Professor Wayne H. Brekhus Professor Charles N. Davis DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to all who have made it possible. First, this includes the countless journalists, Twitter users, and new media practitioners whose actions are transforming the journalistic field, and who inspired me to study the underlying social processes. This dissertation is also dedicated to my many family members who have, each in their own way, inspired me to seek greater meaning in this world, and who have provided me with endless love and support as I keep trying. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As a sociologist, I am keenly aware of the fact that no individual accomplishment—even one as isolating and personally challenging as producing a dissertation—is possible without the assistance of others. This dissertation is no exception, as so many kind hearts and bright minds have helped me throughout this journey. First and foremost, words can hardly describe my gratitude to Dr. Victoria Johnson for all she has done for me over the years. As my advisor and mentor for nearly a decade, Dr. Johnson has generously—indeed, tirelessly—given of her time and energy in guiding me through the many peaks and valleys on my journey of matriculation. This project would not be what it is if not for her guidance. She saw the potential in this project, and in me, long before I was able to clearly articulate its direction, let alone comprehend how I would successfully get it to the finish line. Dr. Johnson’s deep understanding of media, culture, and theory, as well as her mastery of qualitative sociology, contributed significantly to the shape and success of this project. Her meticulous editing and pointed suggestions—of which she offered numerous times, for every chapter—helped me polish this dissertation into its current state. Furthermore, the immense personal support Dr. Johnson has offered me over the years has also proven invaluable. Her knack for knowing when I needed a gentle, supportive advisor and when I needed a tough, zealous advisor helped get me through the most challenging of times. Her candor and dedication over the years has done me an invaluable service in improving every piece of my scholarship, and more importantly, my overall disposition as a scholar. ii I only hope that I can continue to grow into the kind of scholar that would make her proud. Dr. Charles Davis also played an integral role in the success of this project. As an accomplished journalist and scholar, Dr. Davis provided significant guidance on the particulars of the journalistic field as well as Twitter’s growing role in it. His suggestions for sources and methods guided me through key decisions throughout the research process. Furthermore, Dr. Davis’s ability to see patterns in the journalistic field and to share in my recognition of Twitter’s growing importance was also incredibly helpful in verifying many of my findings while also challenging me to better analyze and interpret them. I am forever grateful for his continued support. From the very beginning of my graduate career, Dr. Clarence Lo and Dr. Wayne Brekhus have been central figures in my sociological development. From Dr. Lo I learned much about social theory, media, and movements, and I continue to apply these lessons in this and other endeavors. Furthermore, his suggestions at key points throughout my dissertation work helped me make formative decisions about the scope of the project and the theory and methods I would employ in it. Dr. Brekhus taught me a great deal about the sociology of culture and deviance, which has also influenced my work in this and other projects in important—if somewhat less visible—ways. Dr. Brekhus helped me develop micro- and mezzo-level lenses which would prove integral to my approach in this study and others related to it. Furthermore, his work on identity and social marking shaped the way I view actors’ location within fields. Dr. Amit Prasad also contributed greatly to my understanding of sociological theory in general and Bourdieu’s iii field theory in particular. His advice on how to most effectively situate my work within the ongoing discussions in sociology and other disciplines was most useful. I remain forever appreciative for the role each of them has played in my matriculation. My participation at academic conferences also proved to be a formative experience for the direction of my work. Presenting an early draft of my dissertation proposal at the 2011 Midwest Sociological Society (MSS) annual meeting allowed me to get a handle on the enormity of the Twitter-journalism relationship and get comfortable exploring and explaining it. I thank the fellow participants and attendees of the Sociology of Media session for their encouragement and suggestions. Additionally, my participation in the 2011 American Sociological Society (ASA) annual meeting provided me a space to further sharpen my focus and argument as well as my theoretical and methodological foundations. Dr. Rodney Benson accepted a related paper for presentation in the Media Sociology II session and provided valuable advice on multiple occasions. As the leading scholar on the journalistic field, Dr. Benson’s feedback helped me more intricately consider the theoretical and methodological particulars of field theory, which surely transferred to my work on this project. I must also thank Dr. Timothy Dowd and the other participants in the session for the useful feedback they provided. Additionally, my attendance allowed me to participate in many of the events of the Communication and Information Technologies Section of the ASA (CITASA). These experiences had quite an impact on my methodological approach as well as on my broader understanding of the growing impact of new media technologies. I am especially thankful to Dr. Christina Nippert-Eng, Dr. Harvey Molotch, Dr. Zeynep iv Tufekci, Jen Schradie, and other members of the CITASA section for the wonderful and supportive advice they offered. Accordingly, I must thank the Graduate School, the Department of Sociology, the Graduate Student Association, and the Graduate Professional Council—all at the University of Missouri—for funding this trip. Many of my friends and colleagues were also instrumental in helping me stay sane through the challenging times of dissertation writing. Most notably, Dr. Sam Claster, David Criger and Jesse Van Gerven each played the invaluable role of comrade and acted as a sounding board for some of my ideas throughout the project. As an accomplished scholar of media in his own right, Sam offered useful commentary on my case of study as well as feedback on a related paper. His first-hand advice about surviving the dissertation process frequently turned out to be “just what the doctor ordered.” The same can be said for David and Jesse, with whom I have shared so much since we entered graduate school together in 2005. Whether at the office, around a table, on the disc golf course, or elsewhere, they frequently provided me with intelligent advice and companionship. I thank each of them for their friendship and look forward to what academia—and life, more broadly—has in store for each of us. Now, to my family, who has done so much to help make this dissertation possible. I was fortunate to be raised by loving parents who wanted no more than for me to be happy, to keep chasing my dreams and trying my best, to lead an active and fulfilled life. From my mother, I learned a lifetime’s worth of wisdom about kindness, integrity, and respect. Perhaps more importantly, she taught me to care—even stick up—for those less fortunate than myself. This is a characteristic which I have taken rather seriously and v which apply constantly in my work. She has modeled these values all my life, and her example has served as a primary source of inspiration for me over the years. If not for her love and support, I would never have thought to care so much for anything, let alone had the mind or muster to dedicate my life’s work to helping understand and improve it. From my father, I gained a wealth of knowledge and experience about analytical thinking and problem solving. His amazing ability to combine logic, knowledge, and skill to fix practically anything has provided me a living example of excellence and has inspired me to search for ways my own talents might be applied. The mantra which he quoted to me countless times throughout my youth—“Improvise, Adapt, Overcome”— helped me learn self-reliance, ingenuity, and determination as I tried to solve even the most minute of problems. I had little idea at the time how effectively this and other skills my father taught me would lend themselves to my professional successes. Furthermore, his standing offer to help me with any of life’s challenges as this project neared completion proved to be an indispensible resource, which I tried to use only sparingly.