Description
Recent changes in the ways that journalism can be delivered means that people (at least in a Western context) increasingly have the means to access ‘news’ at any moment without much hassle. This likely changes the experience of journalism for many and beyond this, one might even say that the way we interact with information on a daily basis transforms through this phenomenon. As digitalization enables and inhibits new habits and patterns of news consumption, the power to select media gradually shifts from producers to consumers, facilitating a paradigmatic shift in journalism. Rather than a mass press which decides for audiences what news they ‘need to know’, the digital age allows news users to navigate between a multitude of ‘information suppliers’ – and each other – wherever, whenever, and however they want. In this respect, traditional journalism outlets are increasingly one source among many. Citizens no longer only watch, listen or read news at pre-determined times and in relatively fixed places, they have control to tailor consumption for themselves. The possibilities have broadened: from stationary to portable news, from mass-produced to customized, and from passive to participatory. Yet despite these paradigmatic changes in the public’s use of journalism, the profession tends to hold onto conventional norms that guide their approach to news, how they try to generate authority, and how they visualize their relationship with the public. This paradigmatic, ‘top down’ routine in the profession dovetails with the approach academics tend to adopt when looking into digital developments. Professional and scholarly attention is still focused on production, convergence and content, thus illustrating the strength and stubbornness of the dominant journalism matrix. Even research, which on the surface looks like it deals with the changing habits of audiences, is often based on interviews with journalists and editors and not with audiences themselves. The value of creative research for journalism and journalism studies is to break with this deep-seated professional and academic paradigm of focusing on production and content and focus on the changing perspectives, contexts and experiences of the users of journalism. This talk emphasises how such an approach makes journalism studies matter in a way that is visible to both news organizations and other key stakeholders, such as governments and funding agencies. I argue that audience-centred research can provide both economic benefit and a strong public rationale for cross-subsidizing (news) media. Furthermore, I maintain that when it comes to journalism, which is well-established both as a public good and a private enterprise, these values should not be viewed as distinct. I address these issues amidst an uncertain political-economic climate in which governments with limited resources increasingly prioritise ‘strategic’ research policies that are linked with tangible economic benefits; a shift that poses a threat particularly in the social sciences and humanities. Societal issues are famously complex and – unlike say searching to find a specific gene or inventing a cost saving technological device – harder to patent, monetize and differentiate in terms of the added value of ‘expert’ knowledge. One result has been an uptick in emphasizing partnerships with external stakeholders, valorizing the findings from academic research and making it tangible in the ‘real world’. This talk uses the field of journalism studies to illustrate the value of conceiving research in terms of these partnerships. While many academics feel unease at an approach that shapes research questions in line with the needs of external partners, fearing a loss of autonomy and march toward consultancy, I argue trying to reconcile the discourse of journalism with the capacity of news organizations and the everyday actions of individuals is a useful exercise in praxis.| Periode | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Evenementstitel | RMeS Winterschool and Graduate Symposium |
| Evenementstype | Other |
| Locatie | Nijmegen, NetherlandsToon op kaart |