Just a guy in pajamas? Framing the blogs in mainstream US newspaper coverage (1999 --2005)
Julie Jones and Itai Himelboim
New Media Society 2010 12: 271 originally published online 28 January 2010
DOI: 10.1177/1461444809342524
PDF
Abstract
When new technologies are introduced to the public, their widespread adoption is dependent, in part, on news coverage (Rogers, 1995). Yet, as weblogs began to play major role in the public spheres of politics and journalism, journalists faced a paradox: how to cover a social phenomenon that was too large to ignore and posed a significant threat to their profession.
Julie Jones and Itai Himelboim
New Media Society 2010 12: 271 originally published online 28 January 2010
DOI: 10.1177/1461444809342524
Abstract
When new technologies are introduced to the public, their widespread adoption is dependent, in part, on news coverage (Rogers, 1995). Yet, as weblogs began to play major role in the public spheres of politics and journalism, journalists faced a paradox: how to cover a social phenomenon that was too large to ignore and posed a significant threat to their profession.
This article examines how blogs were framed by US newspapers as the public became more aware of the blogging world. A content analysis of blog-related stories in major US newspapers from 1999 to 2005 was conducted.
Findings suggest that newspaper coverage framed blogs as more beneficial to individuals and small cohorts than to larger social entities such as politics, business and journalism. Moreover, only in the realm of journalism were blogs framed as more of a threat than a benefit, and rarely were blogs considered an actual form of journalism.
Conclusions
News organizations have long played a unique role in presenting new technologies to the public (Rogers, 1995). This study shows that journalists reported on blogging in its formative years and framed it as a commonplace occurrence from its naissance. However, unlike many other technological advances, the blogging phenomenon posed a unique dilemma for reporters: how to weigh their obligation to provide the public with a full accounting of the day’s news against defending their traditional role of being the information gatekeepers and political agenda setters.
Findings suggest that newspaper coverage framed blogs as more beneficial to individuals and small cohorts than to larger social entities such as politics, business and journalism. Moreover, only in the realm of journalism were blogs framed as more of a threat than a benefit, and rarely were blogs considered an actual form of journalism.
Conclusions
News organizations have long played a unique role in presenting new technologies to the public (Rogers, 1995). This study shows that journalists reported on blogging in its formative years and framed it as a commonplace occurrence from its naissance. However, unlike many other technological advances, the blogging phenomenon posed a unique dilemma for reporters: how to weigh their obligation to provide the public with a full accounting of the day’s news against defending their traditional role of being the information gatekeepers and political agenda setters.
Findings from this historical study indicate that newspaper organizations were less open to the notion that this unique form of active and participatory audience benefited journalistic interests. When reporting on blogs or bloggers whose content and work fell within the realm of journalism, journalists framed the phenomenon as a threat twice as much as they framed it as a benefit.
This ratio between threat and benefit frames was not found anywhere else in the findings and was, in fact, opposite when examining the dataset as a whole. In other words, overall blogs were framed as benefit most of the time, but when it came to the world of journalism then blogs were framed mostly as a threat.
This initial resistance to present the blogosphere as potentially serving an informational function to society is worrying in two ways. These findings suggest that as in other professions, journalists continue to use their power to isolate themselves from those who can potentially threaten their unique social status: in this case, as information providers to democracy (Broddason, 1994). When budgets are cut, subscriptions are down and critics argue that journalists do not fulfill their role of the fourth estate (Bagdikian, 2004; Picard, 1994), as journalists further isolate their profession, they leave the door open for bloggers to step in as a fresh source of news and views (Gillmor, 2004). Subsequently, journalists adopting negative frames when reporting on bloggers’ journalistic acts may call into question their credibility and independence as more and more individuals become exposed to blogs via friends and family or due to growing numbers of news stories where bloggers play a pivotal role (such as ‘Rathergate’).
Well-known bloggers may not be journalists; however, they do perform journalistic acts, such as providing cutting-edge commentary on matters of civil importance or random acts of journalism (Lasica, 2003). To stay relevant, news organizations must approach every technological phenomenon with equal measures of skepticism and awe. Yet the framing of the emergent blogosphere did not seek such a balance. On the blogger side, though, life went on regardless of how they were presented in the news. Then, as it is today, the very society journalists serve is full of individuals who are on their own quest to contribute to society in all ways, including the distribution of the day’s news and knowledge. It seems less and less important whether they are in their pajamas or not.
This initial resistance to present the blogosphere as potentially serving an informational function to society is worrying in two ways. These findings suggest that as in other professions, journalists continue to use their power to isolate themselves from those who can potentially threaten their unique social status: in this case, as information providers to democracy (Broddason, 1994). When budgets are cut, subscriptions are down and critics argue that journalists do not fulfill their role of the fourth estate (Bagdikian, 2004; Picard, 1994), as journalists further isolate their profession, they leave the door open for bloggers to step in as a fresh source of news and views (Gillmor, 2004). Subsequently, journalists adopting negative frames when reporting on bloggers’ journalistic acts may call into question their credibility and independence as more and more individuals become exposed to blogs via friends and family or due to growing numbers of news stories where bloggers play a pivotal role (such as ‘Rathergate’).
Well-known bloggers may not be journalists; however, they do perform journalistic acts, such as providing cutting-edge commentary on matters of civil importance or random acts of journalism (Lasica, 2003). To stay relevant, news organizations must approach every technological phenomenon with equal measures of skepticism and awe. Yet the framing of the emergent blogosphere did not seek such a balance. On the blogger side, though, life went on regardless of how they were presented in the news. Then, as it is today, the very society journalists serve is full of individuals who are on their own quest to contribute to society in all ways, including the distribution of the day’s news and knowledge. It seems less and less important whether they are in their pajamas or not.
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου