Engaged Journalism and News Work: A Sociotechnical Analysis of Organizational Dynamics and Professional Challenges

ABSTRACT

Building upon the sociotechnical perspective presented by Lewis and Westlund (2015, “Actors, Actants, Audiences, and Activities in Cross-media News Work: A Matrix and a Research Agenda.” Digital Journalism 3 (1): 19–37. doi:10.1080/21670811.2014.927986), this study examines organizational dynamics, technological affordances and professional challenges of engaged journalism practices by analyzing how Hearken, one of the most celebrated audience engagement companies, and its tools and services are being implemented in 15 U.S. news organizations. This framework identifies Hearken and organizations like it as important “external actors” providing technological “actants” that are shaping how newsrooms report the news by providing ways for audiences to be brought into producing the news, particularly during the earlier phases of the reporting process. Based on in-depth interviews, we find that nearly every news organization in our sample reports some measure of success by using Hearken for involving audience members throughout the production of news. At the same time, we also identify how this implementation is significantly shaped by organizational imperatives and the models particular organizations create for producing audience-centric news work. Ultimately, this study presents a partial update to the decades-long literature on participatory journalism by suggesting that engaged journalism practices actually create opportunities for meaningful audience involvement.     

Journalism in Disguise: Standpoint Theory and the Ethics of Günter Wallraff’s Undercover Immersion

ABSTRACT

Deception is a key element of immersive undercover journalism, achieved through the omission of information, the perpetuation of misconceptions, or possibly the assumption of a false identity. Usually when proponents defend going undercover, they use the-ends-justify-the-means arguments; that despite the journalist’s duplicity, public benefit outweighs the dishonesty that lies at the heart of the practice. Yet, such statements are usually made in the absence of in-depth theoretical analysis. This paper seeks to redress this by applying Standpoint Theory, testing it against the work of Günter Wallraff, Germany’s lauded but controversial undercover journalist who uses disguises to report on that country’s marginalized and disadvantaged. While the authors applaud Wallraff’s exposure of the deplorable illegal and immoral dealings he uncovers, and do not seek to dismiss the significant results he has achieved, this paper uses the case study of his work to test the applicability of Standpoint Theory to undercover journalism, concluding that even under this accommodating theory, there may be ethical limits to journalism’s most ethically contentious practice.     

道德和法律视野下记者拒证特权的思考

记者的拒证特权是其职业道德的最高要求,有极大的合理性和合法性,但和公正审判发生冲突,妥协是必然的,而世界各国法律对此划的界限也不尽相同。本文试图探索这一制度对我国的借鉴意义。     

理工类、专业类高校新闻传播专业教育面临的若干瓶颈

本文认为,当前理工类、专业类高校的新闻传播专业教育普遍遭遇到诸多瓶颈。不突破这些瓶颈,理工类、专业类高校难以真正走出一条有本校特色的新闻传播专业教育之路。     

财经类院校新闻传播专业教学理念与实践

新闻传播专业在财经类院校中,总体处于劣势地位,但如果能抓住财经类院校的特点,设立经济新闻方向,就能变劣势为优势。同时面向社会需要培养特色人才,就能走出瓶颈,探索出一务新的路子。     

事实客观性与新闻真实性的再解读

本文从事实客观性与新闻真实性的密切关联角度,通过对已有新闻真实性的若干论述剖析,结合马克思主义哲学原理和现实新闻事例,阐释了"新闻真实性是对事实客观性的反映"这一命题。     

房价上涨中的地方政府有限理性行为

近些年,国内房地产业持续高烧,热度惊人,虽经中央的种种良方而未见好转。究其病因,乃是地方政府做出的种种有限理性行为,导致了房地产"非常热"之现状。鉴于此,如何有效治理地方政府的有限理性行为是为房地产业"退烧"的关键。