A new platform for quality journalism? : a study of four U.S. nonprofit university centers and their attempt to save professional reporting through using classrooms as newsrooms
Gunhild Ring Olsen
Bok Engelsk 2018
Digital utgave: Gratis
| Annen tittel | |
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| Utgitt | [Bergen] : University of Bergen , 2018
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| Omfang | 408 s.
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| Opplysninger | AbstractThis is a study of four university-based U.S. nonprofits, and their attempt of savingprofessional reporting through 1) the production of quality investigative journalismand 2) educating the next generation of investigative reporters. Using the theory ofprofessions as the key theoretical framework the main research question is “whatpotential do nonprofit university centers have as alternative, professional platformsfor quality journalism?”BackgroundWith the journalism crisis leading to fewer journalists reporting less news in fewerpages, many have asked if professional, resource-demanding journalism is going tosurvive. As a response to this concern, numerous nonprofit newsrooms aiming atsaving quality reporting were established during or after the financial crisis of2008/2009. The four university nonprofits examined in this study are part of asubgroup of this “professional movement”. As hybrids between newsrooms andclassrooms, they pair students from their mother-university with experiencedreporters from established newsrooms, having them work together on realinvestigative stories. The arrangement has been presented as a win-win situation:While economically pressured newsrooms get extra labor through the students, thestudents learn investigative reporting from some of the best reporters in the field. Thisdissertation examines the validity of these claimed benefits.Research designIn order to examine the professional potential of university nonprofits in general, fourof the most prominent and renowned centers in the U.S. – the IRP Berkeley (UCBerkeley), the Stabile Center (Columbia University), the Workshop (AmericanUniversity), and the New England CIR (Boston University) – were selected for amultiple case study. The empirical data material consists of 69 in-depth interviewswith students, faculty, staff and reporters from external newsrooms connected to thecenters, approximately 90 days of observation, and a content analysis of 40 centerstories. ivFindingsThe main research question of the study (what potential do nonprofit universitycenters have as alternative, professional platforms for quality journalism?) isanswered through focusing on the questions’ three key concepts: “alternative”,“professional platforms”, and “quality journalism”.First, the centers can be seen as an alternative to the traditional news industry, as theyrepresent a new way of organizing newsrooms where professional ideals and normsare central. Through only cooperating with external newsrooms, foundations, anduniversities sharing the notion of an informed public as an indispensable societalgood, the centers have managed to unite accomplices from various fields in theirstriving towards saving quality reporting. At the same time, the four centers –representing the largest university nonprofits in the world – are small and fragile. Nothaving endowments to rely upon, the Workshop and the New England CIR inparticular are engaged in an everyday struggle to survive – using much of their totaltime negotiating partnerships, earning revenue, fundraising and highlighting theirimpact. Hence, university nonprofits do not appear to be a solid alternative to thenews industry.Second, the centers’ combined newsroom and classroom role give them highpotential as professional platforms. Advocating a “public trustee” view onprofessionalism, emphasizing core values like truth and democratic effect, thecenters’ staff and associates effectively portray journalism as a public good deservingof its position and privileges. In addition, all four centers provide reporting in linewith the principles of the journalism profession – counteracting the growing gapbetween realities and ideals. Holding a complex, practice-oriented knowledge viewfocusing on “learning by doing”, the centers’ classroom role consists of teaching newpractitioners the necessary mindsets and “know-how” of the profession, andadvancing the knowledge of the practice field. Despite of their small size, the centerscan thus be described as important cornerstones in the journalistic belief system,strengthening the journalism profession’s jurisdiction over news. vThe third key concept of the main research question is quality journalism. Definedaccording to the dominant professional logic of the journalistic field as “responsibleand engaging community journalism, testing the liability of the powerful”, qualityjournalism is more than investigative reporting. It also includes journalism of lowersymbolic value, like the local reporter covering municipal councils and court hearingson a daily basis. Due to their small size, university nonprofits cannot substitute thefull range of everyday “middle class” quality reporting traditionally provided by thecommercial news industry. Instead, they focus on producing investigative reporting,known as the prototype of quality journalism. This makes their production asupplement – not a replacement.ConclusionNonprofit university centers do not seem to have much potential as alternative,professional platforms for quality journalism. They do however appear to beimportant ideology builders. From this perspective, the centers can be of greatimportance to a profession struggling with ongoing challenges and change. Not beingthe solution to the journalism crisis, nonprofit university centers can thus be part ofthe solution – keeping the core values of journalism alive.RelevanceAs one of few in-depth studies of university nonprofits, this dissertation contribute toa fuller understanding of a relatively new phenomenon. For journalism schools andnewsrooms wanting to start similar cooperations, the study can be of direct practicaluse. Moreover, the exploration of different practice-oriented teaching methods shouldbe of interest to most journalism educators, while the discussion on core values andinnovation, legitimation and ideals, bring new aspects to how the journalismprofession reacts to change. Last, but not least, the instrumentalization of the terms“professional” and “quality journalism” can be of inspiration to both practitioners andscholars attempting to better unite the practical and scholarly world of journalism.. - Krisen i mediebransjen har resultert i kraftige nedbemanninger i flere redaksjoner, og mange bekymrer seg for om den ressurskrevende kvalitetsjournalistikken vil overleve. Som et resultat har flere såkalte universitetsbaserte nonprofit-sentre dukket opp i USA. Ved å la studenter arbeide med erfarne journalister fra etablerte redaksjoner, hevder sentrene at det oppstår en vinn-vinn-situasjon: Redaksjonene får sårt tiltrengte ressurser, mens studentene får verdifull erfaring fra «den virkelige verden». Gjennom samarbeid med redaksjoner som The New York Times og Frontline har sentrene vunnet en rekke priser, deriblant Pulitzer-prisen.Avhandlingen tar utgangspunkt i fire av de mest profilerte universitetsbaserte nonprofit-sentrene for undersøkende journalistikk i USA. Ring Olsen har utført 69 dybdeintervjuer med studenter, lærere og journalister, over 90 dager med observasjon og en innholdsanalyse av sentrenes årsproduksjon. I tillegg diskuterer hun begrepene «kvalitet» og «profesjonell» inngående. Hun finner blant annet at det er fullt mulig å være en del av et universitet og samtidig produsere selvstendig journalistikk av høy kvalitet. Læringsutbyttet til studentene er mer varierende. En student beskriver for eksempel det å arbeide i Washington Posts avdeling for undersøkende journalistikk som å bli «kastet til haiene». Hovedkonklusjonen er at nonprofit-sentre er for små og ustabile til å kunne bli en ny plattform for kvalitetsjournalistikk, men at de ser ut til å ha en sentral rolle som ideologibyggere.
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| Emner | American University : (NO-TrBIB)90127861
American University((NO-TrBIB)90127861) Boston University : (NO-TrBIB)1050151 Boston University((NO-TrBIB)1050151) Vis mer... Columbia University : (NO-TrBIB)90066067
Columbia University((NO-TrBIB)90066067) University of California : (NO-TrBIB)90130976 University of California((NO-TrBIB)90130976) medieutdanning journalistutdanning mediepraksis kvalitetsjournalistikk praksislæring journalistyrket yrkesprofesjonalitet The Investigative Reporting Program at The University of California, Berkeley The Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University The Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University The New England Center for Investigative Reporting at Boston University 2014-2015 Sambandsstatane USA De Forente Stater |
| Dewey | |
| ISBN | 978-82-308-3824-2
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