Abstract
In the wake of the news industry’s digitization, novel organizations that differ considerably from traditional media firms in terms of their functional roles and organizational practices of media work are emerging. One new type is the field repair organization, which is characterized by supporting high-quality media work to compensate for the deficits (such as those which come from cost savings and layoffs) which have become apparent in legacy media today. From a practice-theoretical research perspective and based on semi-structured interviews, virtual field observations, and document analysis, we have conducted a single case study on Science Media Center Germany (SMC), a unique non-profit news start-up launched in 2016 in Cologne, Germany. Our findings show that, in addition to field repair activities, SMC aims to facilitate progress and innovation in the field, which we refer to as field advancement. This helps to uncover emerging needs and anticipates problems before they intensify or even occur, proactively providing products and tools for future journalism. This article contributes to our understanding of novel media organizations with distinct functions in the news industry, allowing for advancements in theory on media work and the organization of journalism in times of digital upheaval.
Reference48 articles.
1. Alexander, J. C. (2015). The crisis of journalism reconsidered: Cultural power. Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, 8(1), 9–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40647-014-0056-5
2. Bourdieu, P. (1998). Practical reason. On the theory of action. Stanford University Press.
3. Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
4. Broer, I. (2020). Rapid reaction: Ethnographic insights into the science media center and its response to the Covid-19 outbreak. Journal of Science Communication, 19(5). https://doi.org/10.22323/2.19050208
5. Broer, I., & Pröschel, L. (2021). Das Science Media Center Germany: ethnographische einblicke in die arbeitsweisen und rollen eines intermediärs zwischen wissenschaft und journalismus [The Science Media Center Germany: Ethnographic insights into the work and roles of an intermediary between science and journalism] (Working Paper No. 57). Hans-Bredow-Institut. https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.73542
Cited by
5 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献，注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献，订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献