SUBRYAN, Mark (2020). Existential crisis? UK journalists make sense of their professional practice. Doctoral, Sheffield Hallam University. [Thesis]
Documents
29041:592978
PDF
Subryan_2021_PhD_ExistentialCrisisUK.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.
Subryan_2021_PhD_ExistentialCrisisUK.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.
Download (23MB) | Preview
Abstract
The digital landscape has had some of the most profound impacts on the
journalism profession. Social media has bridged the gap between journalists and
audiences. Online journalism has led to rounds of downsizing, slowed hiring
processes, and corporate mandates for immediate publication that challenge the
traditional perspectives of journalists. Added to this are several 21st century
controversies, such as the phone hacking scandal and criticism of journalism’s
responses to tragedies, it is evident that UK journalists face significant challenges to
their practice. This research aims to understand how journalists make sense of their
daily professional lives amid contemporary challenges to practice. Specifically, it
investigates what journalists believe they do on a daily basis, how they view their
readers, and how they defend themselves against allegations of unethical practice.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 journalists who
represented a broad cross-section of practitioners in the UK. These journalists came
from the national tabloid, regional, and freelance sectors of the UK journalism
landscape. A thematic analysis revealed that journalists still articulate knowledge
claims of their field based on traditional epistemic values attached to western
democratic ideals despite challenges from the digital landscape revealing a different
reality. Audiences have become commodified, which has furnished journalists with an
ambivalent outlook on their readers. Contrary to public perceptions of what is morally
challenging, journalists see assignments that push ethical boundaries as a normal part
of their practice.
The results highlighted three ways in which journalists make sense of their
practice in the contemporary era: judgment, which plays an important role in newsmaking
decisions, ethical practices, and storytelling; traditional epistemic views to
make articulated knowledge claims about practice, and; validation of practice, their
identity, and to emphasise the value they bring to journalism that is based on their
articulated knowledge, informed traditions, and shared repertoire of knowledge.
More Information
Statistics
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year
Metrics
Altmetric Badge
Dimensions Badge
Share
Actions (login required)
View Item |