Spurring or blurring professional standards?: The role of digital technology in implementing journalistic role ideals in contemporary newsrooms

Cornelia Mothes; Claudia Mellado; Sandrine Boudana; Marju Himma-Kadakas; David Nolan; Karen Mcintyre; Claudia Kozman; Daniel C. Hallin; Pauline Amiel; Colette Brin; Yi-Ning Katherine Chen; Sergey Davydov; Mariana  De Maio; Filip Dingerkus; Rasha El-Ibiary; Maximiliano Frías Vázquez; Antje Glück; Miguel Garcés-Prettel; María Luisa  Humanes; Sophie Lecheler; Lee Misook; Christi I-Hsuan Lin; Mireya  Márquez Ramírez; Jorge Maza-Córdova; Marco Mazzoni; Mick Jacques; Ana Milojevic; Christina Navarro; Dasniel Olivera Pérez; Marcela Pizarro; Fergal Quinn; Gonzalo Sarasqueta; Terje Skjerdal; Agnieszka Stępińska; Gabriella  Szabó; Sarah Van Leuven

doi:10.1177/10776990241246692

Spurring or blurring professional standards? The role of digital technology in implementing journalistic role ideals in contemporary newsrooms

Cornelia Mothes (Korresp. Autor*in)
, Claudia Mellado
, Sandrine Boudana
, Marju Himma-Kadakas
, David Nolan
, Karen Mcintyre
, Claudia Kozman
, Daniel C. Hallin
, Pauline Amiel
, Colette Brin
, Yi-Ning Katherine Chen
, Sergey Davydov
, Mariana De Maio
, Filip Dingerkus
, Rasha El-Ibiary
, Maximiliano Frías Vázquez
, Antje Glück
, Miguel Garcés-Prettel
, María Luisa Humanes
, Sophie Lecheler

Lee Misook, Christi I-Hsuan Lin, Mireya Márquez Ramírez, Jorge Maza-Córdova, Marco Mazzoni, Mick Jacques, Ana Milojevic, Christina Navarro, Dasniel Olivera Pérez, Marcela Pizarro, Fergal Quinn, Gonzalo Sarasqueta, Terje Skjerdal, Agnieszka Stępińska, Gabriella Szabó, Sarah Van Leuven

Institut für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft

Veröffentlichungen: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Artikel › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

This study examines the perceived relevance and implementation of competing normative ideals in journalism in times of increasing use of digital technology in newsrooms. Based on survey and content analysis data from 37 countries, we found a small positive relationship between the use of digital research tools and “watchdog” performance. However, a stronger and negative relationship emerged between the use of digital audience analytics and the performance of “watchdog” and “civic” roles, leading to an overall increase in conception–performance gaps on both roles. Moreover, journalists’ use of digital community tools was more strongly and positively associated with “infotainment” and “interventionism.”.

Originalsprache	Englisch
Seiten (von - bis)	88-119
Seitenumfang	32
Fachzeitschrift	Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
Jahrgang	102
Ausgabenummer	1
Frühes Online-Datum	22 Juni 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990241246692
Publikationsstatus	Veröffentlicht - März 2025

Fördermittel

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded in Brazil by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development/Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient\u00EDfico e Tecnol\u00F3gico (CNPq, 316093/2021-1 and 422609/2021-8) and Santa Catarina State Research and Innovation Support Foundation/Funda\u00E7\u00E3o de Amparo \u00E0 Pesquisa e Inova\u00E7\u00E3o do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC, 2023TR000392), in Canada by Mitacs, Centre d\u2019\u00E9tudes sur les m\u00E9dias, The Journalism Research Centre at Toronto Metropolitan University, The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, and Toronto Metropolitan University, in Chile by the Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00F3lica de Valpara\u00EDso and the Fondecyt Grant n\u00BA 1220698, in Hungary by the National Research Development and Innovation Office under agreement No. 131990, in Mexico by the Division of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Universidad Iberoamericana Mexico City (Excepcional Standard Grant 2019\u20132022, in Qatar by the Northwestern University in Qatar, in Rwanda by the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences (SEED Award), in Spain by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (CSO2017-82816-P), and in Switzerland by the Institute of Applied Media Studies (IAM) at the Zurich University of Applied Studies (ZHAW).

ÖFOS 2012

508007 Kommunikationswissenschaft

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10.1177/10776990241246692

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Verknüpfung zur Publikation in Scopus

Zitationsweisen

Mothes, C., Mellado, C., Boudana, S., Himma-Kadakas, M., Nolan, D., Mcintyre, K., Kozman, C., Hallin, D. C., Amiel, P., Brin, C., Chen, Y.-N. K., Davydov, S., De Maio, M., Dingerkus, F., El-Ibiary, R., Frías Vázquez, M., Glück, A., Garcés-Prettel, M., Humanes, M. L., ... Van Leuven, S. (2025). Spurring or blurring professional standards? The role of digital technology in implementing journalistic role ideals in contemporary newsrooms. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 102(1), 88-119. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990241246692

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title = "Spurring or blurring professional standards?: The role of digital technology in implementing journalistic role ideals in contemporary newsrooms",

abstract = "This study examines the perceived relevance and implementation of competing normative ideals in journalism in times of increasing use of digital technology in newsrooms. Based on survey and content analysis data from 37 countries, we found a small positive relationship between the use of digital research tools and “watchdog” performance. However, a stronger and negative relationship emerged between the use of digital audience analytics and the performance of “watchdog” and “civic” roles, leading to an overall increase in conception–performance gaps on both roles. Moreover, journalists{\textquoteright} use of digital community tools was more strongly and positively associated with “infotainment” and “interventionism.”.",

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author = "Cornelia Mothes and Claudia Mellado and Sandrine Boudana and Marju Himma-Kadakas and David Nolan and Karen Mcintyre and Claudia Kozman and Hallin, \{Daniel C.\} and Pauline Amiel and Colette Brin and Chen, \{Yi-Ning Katherine\} and Sergey Davydov and \{De Maio\}, Mariana and Filip Dingerkus and Rasha El-Ibiary and \{Fr{\'i}as V{\'a}zquez\}, Maximiliano and Antje Gl{\"u}ck and Miguel Garc{\'e}s-Prettel and Humanes, \{Mar{\'i}a Luisa\} and Sophie Lecheler and Lee Misook and \{I-Hsuan Lin\}, Christi and \{M{\'a}rquez Ram{\'i}rez\}, Mireya and Jorge Maza-C{\'o}rdova and Marco Mazzoni and Mick Jacques and Ana Milojevic and Christina Navarro and P{\'e}rez, \{Dasniel Olivera\} and Marcela Pizarro and Fergal Quinn and Gonzalo Sarasqueta and Terje Skjerdal and Agnieszka St{\c e}pi{\'n}ska and Gabriella Szab{\'o} and \{Van Leuven\}, Sarah",

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Mothes, C, Mellado, C, Boudana, S, Himma-Kadakas, M, Nolan, D, Mcintyre, K, Kozman, C, Hallin, DC, Amiel, P, Brin, C, Chen, Y-NK, Davydov, S, De Maio, M, Dingerkus, F, El-Ibiary, R, Frías Vázquez, M, Glück, A, Garcés-Prettel, M, Humanes, ML, Lecheler, S, Misook, L, I-Hsuan Lin, C, Márquez Ramírez, M, Maza-Córdova, J, Mazzoni, M, Jacques, M, Milojevic, A, Navarro, C, Pérez, DO, Pizarro, M, Quinn, F, Sarasqueta, G, Skjerdal, T, Stępińska, A, Szabó, G & Van Leuven, S 2025, 'Spurring or blurring professional standards? The role of digital technology in implementing journalistic role ideals in contemporary newsrooms', Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Jg. 102, Nr. 1, S. 88-119. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990241246692

Spurring or blurring professional standards? The role of digital technology in implementing journalistic role ideals in contemporary newsrooms. / Mothes, Cornelia (Korresp. Autor*in); Mellado, Claudia; Boudana, Sandrine et al.
in: Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Band 102, Nr. 1, 03.2025, S. 88-119.

Veröffentlichungen: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Artikel › Peer Reviewed

TY - JOUR

T1 - Spurring or blurring professional standards?

T2 - The role of digital technology in implementing journalistic role ideals in contemporary newsrooms

AU - Mothes, Cornelia

AU - Mellado, Claudia

AU - Boudana, Sandrine

AU - Himma-Kadakas, Marju

AU - Nolan, David

AU - Mcintyre, Karen

AU - Kozman, Claudia

AU - Hallin, Daniel C.

AU - Amiel, Pauline

AU - Brin, Colette

AU - Chen, Yi-Ning Katherine

AU - Davydov, Sergey

AU - De Maio, Mariana

AU - Dingerkus, Filip

AU - El-Ibiary, Rasha

AU - Frías Vázquez, Maximiliano

AU - Glück, Antje

AU - Garcés-Prettel, Miguel

AU - Humanes, María Luisa

AU - Lecheler, Sophie

AU - Misook, Lee

AU - I-Hsuan Lin, Christi

AU - Márquez Ramírez, Mireya

AU - Maza-Córdova, Jorge

AU - Mazzoni, Marco

AU - Jacques, Mick

AU - Milojevic, Ana

AU - Navarro, Christina

AU - Pérez, Dasniel Olivera

AU - Pizarro, Marcela

AU - Quinn, Fergal

AU - Sarasqueta, Gonzalo

AU - Skjerdal, Terje

AU - Stępińska, Agnieszka

AU - Szabó, Gabriella

AU - Van Leuven, Sarah

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KW - news quality

KW - audience metrics

KW - social media

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