Between news, networks and news desks – processes of change in the journalistic news production

1. Between news, networks and news desks – processes of change in the journalistic news production Vinzenz Wyss Future Workshop 2011: Media Change as a Chance and as a Challenge May 8/9, 2011 USI – Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano

3. Assumption role perception, values educational professionalization, activities trends: concentration, convergence & cross-media, commercialization, new technologies, macro meso micro demographic composition organization of media production, cooperation in newsroom organizational resources & routines

4. Trend to Generalization by New Organizational Structures THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CASE : MULTIMEDIA NEWSROOM INTEGRATION

6. Integrated Newsroom of «Blick-Gruppe»

7. Assumption role perception, values educational professionalization, activities trends: concentration, convergence & cross-media, commercialization, new technologies, macro meso micro demographic composition organization of media production, cooperation in newsroom organizational resources & routines

8. Quantitative Data (surveys contribution 2008) Private Broadcasters SRG Print / Online Quantitative Survey Method Online Survey Printed questionnaire Time of data collection Winter 2006/7 Fall 2007 Summer 2008 Population 1’ 100 1’ 800 7’ 300 Sample 449 610 1’ 403 Return rate 39% 33% 19%

9. Role Perception (Mean; Scale: 1=very important, 6=not important at all) (Quelle: Journalisten-Enquête 1998, Journalisten-Enquête 2008) year 2008 1998 tendence + more important/ - less important Orientation 2008 (counted) Neutral reporter 1,55 1,77 + FCTS Analytic 2,19 2,20 = FCTS Guide 2,46 2,61 + FCTS Watchdog 2,49 2,38 - PUBLIC INTEREST Service provider 2,79 3,12 + MARKET Commentator 2,84 2,74 - PUBLIC INTEREST Intermediator 3,03 3,01 = PUBLIC INTEREST Advocate 3,39 3,11 - PUBLIC INTEREST Animator 3,63 3,74 + MARKET Cost-conscious information broker 4,18 4,24 + MARKET Efficient salesperson 4,87 4,78 - MARKET Creator of suitable advertising environment 5,08 5,13 + MARKET

10. Role perceptions 1 = very important 6 = not important at all Media type Special cases long term compar. SRG Private BC Print Paid media Free newsp. Online 1999 2008 Neutral reporter 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.7 1.8 1.6 Analytic 2.2 2.9 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 Watchdog 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.2 2.5 2.7 2.4 2.5 Service provider 2.6 2.5 2.9 3.0 2.6 2.8 3.1 2.8 Efficient salesperson 5.3 4.6 4.9 5.0 4.1 5.0 4.8 4.9 Creator of suitable advertising environment 5.6 4.8 5.0 5.2 4.4 5.2 5.1 5.1

11. Organizations are geared towards … (orientation)

12. Educational Professionalization

13. Work conditions Media Type special cases Long term SRG Private BC Print free newsp. Online 1999 2008 Permanent employment (%) 94 74 75 80 74 80 78 Certainty concerning job (1= satisfied. ; 6= not satisfied) 2.3 3.5 3.5 4.0 4.2 2,3 3,2 Career opportunities (1= satisfied. ; 6= not satisfied) 3.5 3.4 4,1 4.3 4.2 4.2 3.9 Working at this place exklusively (%) 81 59 60 63 58 - 64 Income (monthly, brutto) (Mean, 1000 CHF) 6.8 4.3 6.5 6.6 5.2 6.3 6.4 Job-Satisfaction regarding income (1= satisfied. ; 6= dissatisfied) 2.9 3.9 3.5 3.2 3.8 2.7 3.4

14. Research Preconditions Only editors Media Tye Special cases in total SRG Private BC Print Free Newspaper Online 1999 2008 Approximation of time for research (time in %) 31% 22% 37% 40% 26% - 33% Always check of forwarded information (%) 60 39 34 40 24 - 41 Satisfaction regarding time for reserach (1= satisfied. ; 6= unsatisfied) 3.1 3.4 3.0 3.1 3.5 - 3.2 Working in ressorts/ ed. Departements (%) 65 44 75 72 44 - 71

15. Assumption role perception, values educational professionalization, activities trends: concentration, convergence & cross-media, commercialization, new technologies, macro meso micro demographic composition organization of media production, cooperation in newsroom organizational resources & routines

17. Sample Qualitative Study

18. Findings I: Processes stand-alone editorial departments Schaffhauser Zeitung, Le Nouvelliste, Tele Züri Online channel does its own research Exchange occurs rarely, parallel production Editorial offices with an online branch (20Min.ch newsnetz, Tagi) Convergent Newsrooms (Blick, AZ Medien) Online channel publishes articles from the print branch in a reduced & acuminated way Possibility of diversity in different branches No diversity on different channels

23. Findings IV: Other Media – Co-Orientation The Internet as a resource which brings forward co-orientation Easier access to online media (foreign titles too) Efficient way to find new topics Potential accumulates by quantity Exclusivity V + + Reproduction Addition V - + V - - Reduction of complexity Concentration New aspect / redraw old stories Increase of quantity Stop New search for topics

24. Findings IV: Other Media – Co-Orientation The Internet as a resource which brings forward co-orientation Easier access to online media (foreign titles too) Efficient way to find new topics Potential accumulates by quantity Exclusivity V + + Reproduction Addition V - + V - - Reduction of complexity Concentration New aspect / redraw old stories Increase of quantity Stop New search for topics "As it is like that, I stronlgly observe the work of the others.“ „ It is normal to check what other journalists already have produced about the same topic.“ „ If I read a story in a local paper, I know that nobody in Zurich read about. I take the idea and create a story for our readers.»

25. Findings IV: Other Media – Co-Orientation The Internet as a resource which brings forward co-orientation Easier access to online media (foreign titles too) Efficient way to find new topics Potential accumulates by quantity Exclusivity V + + Reproduction Addition V - + V - - Reduction of complexity Concentration New aspect / redraw old stories Increase of quantity Stop New search for topics

26. Findings IV: Other Media – Co-Orientation The Internet as a resource which brings forward co-orientation Easier access to online media (foreign titles too) Efficient way to find new topics Potential accumulates by quantity Exclusivity V + + Reproduction Addition V - + V - - Reduction of complexity Concentration New aspect / redraw old stories Increase of quantity Stop New search for topics „ If you try to work in a different way than others you will have a chance to reach more diversity. I think we try to be more exclusive than before because our readers have the possibility to easily compare our paper with others.“ „ It happens that we can’t publish a story because it is already written down from another paper and there is nothing new to say about. An exception would be a big story where you just add some paragraphs and that’s it. “

27. Findings IV: Other Media – Co-Orientation The Internet as a resource which brings forward co-orientation Easier access to online media (foreign titles too) Efficient way to find new topics Potential accumulates by quantity Exclusivity V + + Reproduction Addition V - + V - - Reduction of complexity Concentration New aspect / redraw old stories Increase of quantity Stop New search for topics

28. Findings IV: Other Media – Co-Orientation The Internet as a resource which brings forward co-orientation Easier access to online media (foreign titles too) Efficient way to find new topics Potential accumulates by quantity Exclusivity V + + Reproduction Addition V - + V - - Reduction of complexity Concentration New aspect / redraw old stories Increase of quantity Stop New search for topics „ « "If our print branch publishes a great interview, we take it for our online channel too. In that case we play the part of a middleman who sums it up for our reader. Not a real journalistic task.” „On the first view it can be said that we have more diversity than before because you can take out more information. But if we are honest everybody look at the same so we are in a big danger to end up with a pabulum.“ „ We follow the pack.“

29. Findings IV: Other Media – Co-Orientation The Internet as a resource which brings forward co-orientation Easier access to online media (foreign titles too) Efficient way to find new topics Potential accumulates by quantity Exclusivity V + + Reproduction Addition V - + V - - Reduction of complexity Concentration New aspect / redraw old stories Increase of quantity Stop New search for topics

30. Findings IV: Other Media – Co-Orientation The Internet as a resource which brings forward co-orientation Easier access to online media (foreign titles too) Efficient way to find new topics Potential accumulates by quantity Exclusivity V + + Reproduction Addition V - + V - - Reduction of complexity Concentration New aspect / redraw old stories Increase of quantity Stop New search for topics „ Sometimes I try to find a new aspect about a story which is different from the approach of the others.“

32. Findings V: Audience (Statements I) „ I need to draw a line. I don’t want to be a clown to some people who think they could meddle into my job. “ Chance of interactivtiy? Ambivalence V + V - „ Since it is that easy to reply, the numbers of feedbacks increased astronomically.“ Audience

34. Findings V: Audience (Statements II) „ It is always an imprudent way of communication.“ „In forums you quickly find agitators and so you can easy tell that there is a committed discussion going on about something.“ „ A calf with three legs and six tails is a curiosity but it is not a story.“ Chance of interactivtiy? Ambivalence V + V - „ In that way a story never ends. It is not dead the day when it is published. The response of the audience always gives me new ideas, other approaches: the story goes on and on. “ „ Readers can tell you what they think, what they are interested in and they can provide you with different inputs.“ Audience

36. Findings V: Audience (Statements III) „ It is a superficial factor. If you just count the clicks, the title and the picture is deciding. At the moment the reader opened the article it does no matter whether he reads it or not.“ „ It is dangerous because media refer to each other. One has to take care not to be led to much about online characteristics. “ Chance of interactivtiy? Ambivalence V + V - „ If a story does not work, when the graph does not goes up, of course we try to change that.“ „ Ratings about how many time a story was clicked on is a criteria of quality. They show you if you have chosen a good picture or if you are able to sell a story in a good way.“ Audience

40. Between news, networks and news desks – processes of change in the journalistic news production Vinzenz Wyss Future Workshop 2011: Media Change as a Chance and as a Challenge May 8/9, 2011 USI – Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano