It is in the numbers: How market orientation impacts journalists’ use of news metrics

Abstract

This study examines how market orientation affects the use of web analytics in newsrooms. The researcher conducted 57 in-depth interviews with journalists working full time in United States-based news organizations. These organizations varied by market orientation: strongly market oriented, somewhat strongly market oriented, somewhat weakly market oriented, and weakly market oriented. Using market theory for news production as a framework, this study found that prior research correctly identified how newsrooms utilize analytics, but did not necessarily illustrate the nuances in how organizations utilized analytics differently depending on market orientation. Finally, the piece extends and discusses the utility of market theory for news production.