Globalization Impact on Online Journalism

Introduction

The Internet, via technological potential and use as a communication tool, can be considered
the venue of McLuhan’s Global Village, calling for adaptation of concepts of time and space.
Within the process of globalization, the Internet is an essential component of the so-called
interconnectedness and interdependence of cultures, economies and politics. This process is
not a new phenomenon but the extent to which the world has been compressed and the
intensity of this interconnection (Khiabany, 2003), with the Internet as its enabler, has brought
consequences to the social and political sphere, as well as for journalism. For the journalism
profession, globalization and the Internet have generated a completely new medium, as well
as new processes of accessing information, gathering, storing and presenting news, and the
scope to what is newsworthy. Journalism online is perhaps the medium where the
compression of time and space can be most clearly seen, with its 24/7 cycle, the lessening of
social space between producer and recipient, and the potential to reach supranational
audiences. It has also created a unique opportunity for citizen participation in the news
process (Reese et al, 2005). However, journalists enter this new media with the past tenets of
the profession, as online news is still in its maturation stage. Similarly, the potential of the
Internet and the world as a global village should not be overestimated, where it can be
accounted in a uniform fashion. The global flow of information, images and content, although
it has increased in unprecedented rates, is not entirely global nor does it flow at a constant rate
throughout the world (Khiabany, 2003). The idea of one culture homogenizing other cultures,
or of an imposing culture over peripheral cultures in a one-way flow, has been challenged by
some scholars (Khiabany, 2003) within a modern frame work of globalization. An enhanced
connection of the world as a whole has been identified, while at the same time enforcing a
localized sense of belonging (Uimonen, 2003). The term “glocalization” has been used across
disciplines to call for a joint analysis of global and local influences of the modern world
(Keeling, 2004). The Internet is no longer a stranger in the multitude of sources for news
audiences nowadays. As each year passes by, web users are relying more on the Internet as
the place where they get their news daily. On a global scale, traffic for online news has also
been increasing. According to an annual survey by the World Association of Newspapers,
traffic to newspaper websites worldwide grew 32% from 2003 to 2004 and 350% over the
past five years (World Press Trends, 2005). As the audience for online news is growing,
media executives are also paying more attention to their online operations than in the past and
have started to recognize it as a channel for profitability. According to the World Association
of Newspapers annual survey of 1,300 newspaper executives worldwide, Internet advertising
revenues have gone up 21% in 2004, the highest growth seen in the past five years (World
Press Trends, 2005). 1

A greater understanding as to who are the people that work for these operations should be
presented and analyzed, with increased attention and resources devoted to online news
operations. It’s only through understanding more about online journalists and their daily
routines that the journalism profession can better comprehend online journalism within the
modern world and its future. The amount of literature on online journalists in the US and their
daily routines in newswork has been sparse (Martin & Hansen, 1998; Singer, 2003;
Boczkowski, 2003, 2004; Cassidy, 2005). On a more global scale, several scholars have
addressed the characteristics of online journalists by country (Deuze 2002, Kopper et al.,
2000; Quandt et al., 2002; Deuze & Paulussen 2002; Deuze, Neuberger and Paulussen, 2004)
but few have focused on a wider, global sample (Weaver, 2005). This study aims to deepen
the discussion of how globalization and modernity, through the Internet is changing
journalism. To what extent are these changes in communication and technology universal?
Also, this study seeks to understand how the increasingly international availability of
technology is shaping the daily routines of online journalists. To analyze these interactions
between globalization and journalism, this study has reached out to an international group of
online journalists seeking its perspectives of the global tendencies and the particularity of the
local. The use of specific characteristics of the Internet by news organizations and journalists
that utilize this medium as their outlet may propose new challenges to the journalistic
profession, studies and news culture in general (Deuze, 2003). Characteristics such as
interactivity (a two way communication system), hypertextuality (connectivity among stories
to other stories, archives and resources through links) and multimediality (possibility of
multiple formats) has already impacted the media production process and online journalism
routines, and its consequences need to be understood (Deuze, 2003). Interactivity has
specifically challenged the sender-receiver mode of journalism. The impact of technology on
the news industry has been an area of discussion for the journalism profession for several
years. Technology changes have ranged from the adoption of computer pagination to
computer-assisted reporting to digital photography on a global scale. In particular, technology
has had an impact on the way the newsroom operates and is becoming a main factor in
newsgathering process, “As these changes reveal, technology alters the nature of work in an
organization, as we all as the degree of control over the work process and sometimes the
worker, by the manager.” (Sylvie and Witherspoon , 2002, p.48) The question of what defines
the role of an online journalist should be considered from a global perspective, since previous
notions of time and space have also been debunked by the specific characteristics of this fluid
medium, having limited geographic boundaries. The positioning of the journalist within the
global and local perspectives of the modern society brings about new understandings of the
general tendencies of the medium as well as its particular adaptation to new technologies.
Method To analyze the impact of globalization and modernity on online journalism with the
introduction of new technology and compressed concepts of time and space, this study 2
relied on the expertise of online journalists from Latin America, North America and Europe.
For that reason, it was important to investigate how these professionals who work on a daily
basis at online news organizations (geographically dispersed) on how they perceive the
evolution of their work as journalists, respecting and inciting the opinions of the subjects of
this study (Lunt & Livingstone, 1996). Focus group was chosen as the appropriate method for
this research, for its goal of probing a small group of participant’s attitudes, opinions and
behaviors to provide insights on a particular subject matter (Poindexter & McCombs, 2000).
The choice of an expert group of participants is congruent to this qualitative method and the
purpose of this study (Rezabek, 2000). The researchers approached, via email, contacts of
online news media from the aimed geographical locations of this study requesting their
indication of news professionals who produced, on a daily basis, original content for their
news site. After this initial contact, emails with brief information about the research goals
were sent to potential participants from ten countries and 28 news organizations. A total of
sixteen online journalists from Germany, United States, Brazil, Great Britain, Spain, Mexico,
and Canada (and 15 different news organizations) participated in one of the three focus
groups conducted in this study, as the other contacts had scheduling conflicts. The participants
did not receive any financial incentive to participate, but were willing to express their opinion
with this international group. The first focus group, conducted in April 2005, included 5
participants from mainstream online newspapers from Mexico, United States and Canada. For
the second focus group, conducted in May 2005, 6 journalists from mainstream online media
participated in the study. These participants worked on online newspapers, radio and news-
portals from Germany, United States, Brazil, Great Britain and Spain. The third focus group
was comprised of 5 journalists from local online media from Brazil and United States,
conducted in August 2005. The group size was considerable for the quality and result of the
discussion (Lunt & Livingstone, 1996). The method of focus group is well established in the
social sciences (Chase & Alvarez, 2000). Lunt and Livingstone (1996) found that “the
resurgence of interest in the focus group interview in social science research, including media
and communications, is part of the move toward qualitative methods,” (p.79). These authors
also found that the method is especially useful in discovering meanings and understandings
from the participants. The focus group method has been traditionally conducted face-to-face,
where participants would convene in a set location for the purpose of the study. For this study,
the focus groups were conducted online, in order to facilitate interaction among the
professionals of the seven different countries. New technology has allowed new approaches to
focus groups (Rezabek, 2000). The use of online focus groups is recent in the social sciences
(Oringderff, 2004), but has been a growing method in the business and marketing community
(Chase & Alvarez, 2000). Online focus groups have been conducted synchronously or
asynchronously (Murray, 1997). Synchronized online focus groups convene participants at the
same time and at the same location, as a chat room could provide. This research opted for a
synchronized online focus group, providing the opportunity for the participants to respond in
real time to other participant’s queries and opinions, as well as the moderator’s 3 questions.
The choice of conducting an online focus group was pertinent to the characteristics of the
participants who work in an online environment and are adapted to the technology. Chase and
Alvarez (2000) have stated that individuals with such characteristics, as well as those who
personally are inhibited by face-to-face interactions, might be more responsive and
enthusiastic to this environment of focus groups. Some of the advantages of online focus
groups have been identified by Edmunds (1999) as cost reduction, potential to reach a broad
geographic scope, the ability to reach busy participants, and provide a convenient and
comfortable environment for participation. The online focus group method also allows for a
digital transcript of the conversation, which, after the consent of our expert panel group, was
readily used for the analysis. A disadvantage in comparison to face-to-face focus group,
identified by previous studies (Chase & Alvarez, 2000), was the lack of body language and
facial expressions, an intrinsic part of communication. The lack of possibility of
demonstrating emotions was partially surpassed by textual signals and symbols of such
emotions. The three discussions of this study lasted an hour on average, to ensure
participation from all participants. The site for the online focus group was a chat-room from
an online organization that offers educational interactive tools called Tapped In, allowing for
privacy and the intended synchronized format. This chat was accessible, through a password-
protected website, viewable only to the participants, moderator and researchers, providing a
private location for this study. A moderator was hired to guide the discussions, ensuring that
the topics remained on target. The moderator followed the traditional role in focus groups of
monitoring the complex system of social interactions, encouraging participation and
contribution and managing disruptions (Lunt & Livingstone, 1996). The moderator was given
a set of topics as well as some possible questions to use. The discussions were recorded
unobtrusively and transcripts of the conversations were sent to the researchers. The
participants were sent a consent form, where they received information about the ethical
guidelines such research should yield and all accepted the inclusion in analysis. The form of
analysis for this study was based on the grounded theory approach in which transcripts of the
focus groups were reviewed and themes were developed based on the findings. The grounded
theory approach is based on the relationships between the data information and the categories
they are coded into. The categories are identified a posteriori (Lindlof & Taylor, 2002). The
content of the discussions were analyzed taking into consideration the group dynamic of the
focus groups, being a significant context for the framework of this research (Lunt &
Livingstone, 1996). Results The concept of globalization as a one-way process, where world's
core country exercise unilateral power toward less powerful peripheries, has been challenged
by current sociologists who believe that the networked society reaffirms the dual and
contradictory aspects of modernity: globalization and individualization (Uimonen, 2003).
Through the 4 Internet, a relatively new channel of communication and interaction, users can
establish social relations on a global scale while at the same time re-enforcing its sense of
localized belonging (Uimonen, 2003). The boundary crossing aspect of the Internet, through
its multimediality, hypertextuality and interactivity, has impacted the organization of society
in general and journalism in particular. This does not imply, though, that the technology alone
is a determinant outside force being exerted; the social and cultural influences of this new
technology are as much as influencing forces as they are influenced by it. It is in this context
that the Internet can be said to reflect and influence the dual process of individualization (or
localization) and globalization, as two sides of modernization (Uimonen, 2003). Similarly, the
journalism profession does have similarities across borders, as hypothesized by Splichal and
Sparks (1994). These similarities though do not necessarily mean though that there are
universal occupational standards met by journalists world-wide, as shown in the analysis of a
survey comparing 21 countries and territories which alluded to the specific settings of each of
these countries and territories exerting influence on the journalist's characteristics, attitudes
and behaviors (Weaver, 2005). The Global and the Individual: online journalists & shortened
space Online journalists, working through the Internet, are influenced by this medium, which
is one of the most prominent forces of globalization (as a communication and technological
tool), while at the same time shaping how this medium can be used as new form of
journalism. Being a worldwide phenomena, online journalism is still in its maturation phase.
Throughout several countries, online journalists share certain perceptions of online and their
changing role as journalists (Schmitz Weiss & Higgins, 2005), but they also hold differences
that express their localization and individualization, where the local social and political scene
also exert a force in how this new medium is to be adapted. In examining the concepts
brought forward by the international group of online journalists participating in our focus
groups, one of the most unified perceptions among these journalists was the closer relation
with the audience that this medium allows for. The lessening distance between the news
producers and news recipient was seen, in general, as a positive aspect of news online, as well
as its future. The communication model where journalist’s role presupposed the condition of
producer and audience’s as receiver has been blurred in the online medium, specifically by the
interactive characteristic of the medium. Although the concept of interactivity is not particular
to the online medium, this particular medium has eased the access of the audience to a more
active role. The options for immediate response by the public to a certain story or comment,
the possibility of the public participating in the process of gathering information, adding
certain information or providing information to the news outlet in a more direct form is
facilitated by the online medium (Deuze, 2003). Schultz (1999) has defined interactivity as a
chain of interrelated messages, as a two-way and reactive communication system where all
sides participate in providing the message. "The most distinctive characteristic for the online
medium for me is the ability to reach so many people, and to have them feed back into the
newsgathering process in ways 5 that don't happen with old media. I see moves increasingly
towards this too – i.e. citizen journalism. Not that I want to talk myself out of a job, of
course," according to an online journalist from Great Britain. This view was shared by most
of the participants of the focus groups. A journalist from northern Brazil, when asked about
what she thought would be the news model for the 21st century, stated, "the audience will
participate in the process of construction the News." These journalists do not only imply that
the distance between the producer and the receiver has been shortened, but it would be
increasingly blurring, where the audience could increase participation by being part of the
news production. The degree of this participation by these journalists from the seven different
countries though, is slightly different. A journalist from Mexico suggested that his online
newspaper is trying to do two things, "Bring them real time information, enhanced with
multimedia and converting our site into a town square, a place where the community talks to
itself," suggesting little interference by the journalists themselves in this communication
process among citizens. An American journalist suggested this interaction with the audience
in a slightly different form, when asked about the news model of the 21st century, "the
interactive Web site that combines search and feedback; that generates new facts and
incorporates reader perspective on those facts. In a word, professionalized blogging." Current
technology has enabled the audience to respond and produce messages, being active
participants of the communication process (Pavlik, 2001). News media organizations need to
face this characteristic of the online medium, adapting the definition and functions of
journalism to this interactive participation of their audience (Pavlik, 2001). Advocates of such
interactive journalism have identified the role for journalists to enlist audience participation,
by providing platforms for audience expression and citizen connectivity (Schultz, 1999). The
interactive aspect of the Internet has been said to allow people to participate in public
discourse, having beneficial consequences to the state of democracy (Kopper et all, 2000).
Habermas has stated that the participation of citizens in debates where political decision and
consensus are formed, the public sphere, would be essential for democracy, restraining
authoritative power (Habermas, 1989). Online media has the capability of providing a venue
for the public sphere, specifically for the interactive aspect of it. In addition to offering
citizens a platform and tools for exchanging opinion and information, online journalism
would also provide these citizens the information needed to make political decisions, offering
a dual purpose in the maintenance of democracy (Deuze, 2003). Within this perspective of
providing a venue of debate for the public sphere, Schmitz Weiss and Higgins have identified
a potential new role of the online journalist, a moderator role of this debate; who manages the
conversation, probing for participation and brings new information to the debate (Schmitz
Weiss & Higgins, 2005). While the moderator role may be an emerging role for online
journalists, listening to the audience has already proven to be an essential part of journalism in
this medium, by utilizing it in the form of sources, expert opinion, trend spotters and critics.
Bloggers and online news: where does the journalist stand? An online phenomena nowadays
are blogs, or weblogs. This interactive tool is often a very personal and opinionated
annotation of the world by an individual or a group, 6where stories are told and commented
on (Deuze, 2003). Incorporating blogs in online news though have been seen differently by
online journalists. In a comparative study between American and Brazilian online journalists,
Higgins and Schmitz Weiss have concluded that while Brazilian journalists who participated
in the study raised the issue of credibility of the news organization being challenged with the
inclusion of blogs as sources of information whereas the American journalists seemed to have
accepted blogs as a phenomena already in place, being more concerned with keeping up with
the new variety of information (Higgins & Schmitz Weiss, 2005). The acceptance of blogs
and its incorporation in online news was a matter of discrepancy among the online journalists
from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Great Britain, Spain and United States who
participated in this study. According to an American online journalist, “Blogging is the
cutting edge of journalism in incorporating reader expertise.” This answer was replied by a
German online radio journalist who said: “I know, in the USA blogging is more and more
important. But not in Germany!” A Spanish online journalist stated that in Spain blogs only
work if they are specific and the author is well-known. A journalist from a mainstream online
newspaper in Great Britain stated that she has used it a few times and her news organization is
looking for new ways of incorporating it. She then queries: “The question is, is it a passing
phase, or is it here to stay. It's good for specific topics or personality driven stuff, but
shouldn't replace journalism. In the UK, all newspapers and websites have blogs.” Deuze
proposed two kinds of participatory communication in the online media: moderated and
unmoderated (2003). Websites with different purposes would tend to focus on either side of
the spectrum but are not necessarily exclusively moderated or un-moderated. In his analysis,
mainstream news media tend to host moderated participatory communication. Websites could
also be seen as open or closed to participatory communication (Deuze, 2003). When users are
allowed to share comments and insert content without moderating intervention it could be said
that the site is open. On the opposite side of the spectrum, a site that allows its audience to
participate but these interactions are strictly moderated and controlled, it is said to be a closed
participatory communication. According to Deuze (2003), mainstream news websites usually
offer a wide array of editorial content but it is minimal and usually moderated form of
participatory communication. In an analysis of our focus groups discussions, the participants
suggested different mechanism of incorporating interactive tools in their daily routine,
varying in moderation and openness. A Mexican journalist stated, talking about the audience,
that in her news organization they “rely very much on our statistics to define what do they
want to read or see.” A Brazilian online journalist who works on an online news portal stated
that his organization has “2 ways to ‘listen’ to the audience: an online chat 3 times a day on
our live bulletins and e-mail.” He also mentions an online audience thermometer, as a way to
monitor which stories readers find more interesting and being able to react to that. The
Spanish participant mentions the use of “digital interviews (done by users),forums, polls, etc.”
as being an important mechanism in his news organization. Appadurai (1996) states that we
are living in a world with a new social order, influenced by the technological achievements of
modern society, mass mediation and 7 migration as global phenomenon. Within this global
world, social distances between people and places, as well as a shorter dimension of time,
would have emerged (Appadurai, 1996). The participants of this study have pointed to a
diminished social distance between online news communicators and its recipients. The Global
and Local on online news coverage Another aspect of modernity would be the dual process of
globalization and individualization; the global and the local (Uimonen. 2003). Participants of
this study have also indicated this dualism within online news. A journalist from an American
online newspaper stated, as did others, “My column consists of links to and quotes from
foreign papers within 24 hours of publication. Before the Internet this was not possible,”
indicating the global reach of sources used by online journalists. Another journalist from the
United States indicated that her main task in her daily routine was “Being aware of what is
going on not only locally but around the world. When people hear about something on the
other side of the world they expect to find information about what is going on newspaper
sites.” The importance of local news coverage for the online journalists participating in this
study was seen in a slightly different manner. A Mexican journalist indicated that local news
was very important to her news organization: “It’s when you can make a difference; when you
can demonstrate the value of your staff and your creativity.” The German participant said that
local news were not really important at his online radio station. A Brazilian participant,
however, indicated his commitment to local news: “My personal goal in (name of online
portal) is to get more money to invest on reporting local news. We use our own staff in Sao
Paulo and Brasilia and freelancers around the country.” He indicated that the importance of
covering local news in an online news organization has a social-political background. “In
Brazil, where the media outside the bigger cities are very influenced by local politicians, local
news on the Internet are becoming an important tool to democracy,” he stated. The participant
from Great Britain said that her news organization has “small teams of people throughout the
country doing so. It's not read by that many people but I guess it's a public service.” The
international group of participants suggests that, while there is a perspective regarding a
shortened distance between the news producers and audience in online news, this reduction of
social space can be incorporated for different reasons in different countries. The degree to
which audience participation takes place (or are expected to take place) is influenced by
social, cultural and political background of the journalistic organization. The emphasis of
local news coverage within the online medium is not seen in the same way by our group of
participants. The emphasis of the individual and local, in this case, also carried social, cultural
and political backgrounds. As the Internet medium allows online journalism to foster an
environment that supports hypertextuality, multimediality, and interactivity (Deuze, 2003) the
technology helps to bring those characteristics to life for the online news user reading the
story and the online journalist who reports on it. They are the general aspects of online
publishing despite language, culture or geography. 8 The Global & the Technology: online
journalists and their toolbox Technology as we define it is based on those resources that
enable the online journalist to complete the news production process. In this study, we
identify how the online journalists in our focus groups, despite the geographic, cultural and
language differences, through the impact of globalization, share commonalities in the area of
technology and how it is used in their daily news production process. The toolbox of
technology the online journalists in our focus groups use is the same, but how they make the
most use of these tools and why does differ due to the individualization and localization
aspects mentioned earlier in the study. We adopt a framework by Pavlik (2005) that looks at
how technology is being used in the field by way of acquisition devices, storage technology,
processing technology, distribution technology and display or access devices in the journalism
field. In a close examination of our focus group findings, we conclude that the majority of our
participants do make use of acquisition devices, processing technology and distribution
technology for their daily work. Our participants’ newswork does cut across all five aspects of
Pavlik’s framework, but only three (acquisition devices, processing technology and
distribution technology) were as salient and emphasized during the focus group sessions and
will be addressed in this study. Acquisition devices, processing technology and distribution
technology help to frame how these online journalists from the 7 countries view the resources
they have at hand for their daily news work. We will first discuss the concept of the
acquisition device, address the processing technology findings, and then follow with the
findings that support the use of distribution technology by our study participants. Acquisition
Devices Pavlik identifies an acquisition device in his framework as those devices that help to
gather images, sound and information. They are digital devices that can include video or still
cameras, webcams and cell phones. (Pavlik, 2005, p.246-247) In all of the focus groups, the
journalists identified they used tools such as digital cameras; software to produce multimedia
packages, and various programming code they use to help present the information to the
reader on their Websites. All of these aspects support the definition of an acquisition device.
Many of our participants felt they had equipment to achieve their daily news goals but that
more resources were needed for tomorrow’s work and the future. An online journalist from
Canada stated how much in the future it would be required that journalists carry these
acquisition devices with them as they do a story, “I think the future will see reporters using
digital cameras and video cameras to pop them on the websites, along with a story. However,
budget restraints currently are not in place to support such endeavors yet.” These budget and
resource constraints are not uncommon among all of the participants in our study as many of
their countries’ face increasing concentration of media ownership and the pressure of
management and editorial staff’s expectation of more production from fewer resources in an
effort to make a profit. (Freedom of the Press, 2005) An online journalist from Brazil stated
that the acquisition devices they use are 9 minimal at this point, but that more investment is
needed to help them connect with their audience, “We need to invest more resources in
reporting to get more text, video, audio and photo to offer to the public. We need better ways
to interact with the audience and to give them more power to influence in the topics we are
covering. We need better technology to show all these to the audience in a more friendly way.
We need more money.” With this in mind, the focus of the acquisition devices for this online
journalist are not as much as the multimedia presentation it can provide as much as the
interaction and connection it can offer to the audience in getting them involved in the
reporting and coverage they are doing daily for issues they feel resonate with their audiences.
The focus group participants in this study stated that they use specific applications and tools
to obtain content for their websites ranging from digital still cameras for photos to the
Macromedia Flash application for packaging the content into one piece for the online reader.
Our participants showed that the acquisition devices may vary from country to country but the
intent to use them is in an effort to add context, multimedia, or interactivity for the reader.
However, many of our participants also cited that the resources and access to various
acquisition devices was not up to par and that they require additional equipment to help
improve their news production process. Online news firms across the globe continually face
the challenge of obtaining the appropriate resources they need as many of the online
journalists in our focus groups may have to work with few resources to produce news daily.
Processing Technology Our next finding among the online journalists is their use of
processing technology. Pavlik states that processing technology are those aspects of power
and speed that make devices operate faster, more efficiently and effectively. He identifies the
computer chip, DNA processors, and applications that help to compress small files for video
and audio content (Pavlik, 2005). In this study, we would like to addend to Pavlik’s
framework for processing technology is the speed at which content is posted on the Internet.
The speed at which content is posted by online journalists is highly dependent on the constant
24/7 news schedule they must match and the always-on Internet connection made available
through the fast connections and processors that work together to produce the web pages seen
on the Internet. This processing technology can be considered the pace at which the news gets
posted on the Web site. In all of our focus groups, the online journalists stated how much they
must “feed the beast” (the Internet) throughout the day as they feel the pressure that their
audiences always want updates and new information each time they visit the site. An online
journalist from Britain stated, “24 hours news…you have to keep feeding the beast and
providing new content. And you never get to go home but you are always up to date and
ahead of the papers.” As the barrier to information and data flow has disappeared with the
growing broadband and satellite infrastructures that are being built around the world, the
pressure is on for these online journalists to post information as soon as it comes over the
wires, through email, via instant messenger or over the phone. In this sense, we have found
that these online journalists all share in the concept of the speed in which information must be
posted online is a form of processing technology. An online journalist from the United States
stated that posting news online quickly 10
removes any barriers that exist for other media, “Immediacy and completeness. Content can
be posted quickly without the limitations of print and broadcast schedules and we’re not
restricted by how much information we can post.” With this mind, the Internet helps to release
the limitations that other media may experience due to the fixed schedules that exist. This
immediate connection allows the limitations to be lifted across time, space and geographic
location as all of our focus group participants cited immediacy as one of the main
characteristics involved in online journalism. Several of the online journalists in the focus
groups stated that this fast connection and sense of immediacy makes them more apt to get
breaking news and information out to their readers. As an online journalist from Spain stated,
“We have different profiles, but the main function would be to collect, write, and publish
stories during the day, mainly breaking news.” The speed at which information moves on the
web and how quickly it needs to be posted or updated by the newsroom staff is an aspect that
is becoming a standard routine for online journalism (Gubman & Greer, 1997; Tankard 1998;
Arant & Anderson 2001; News Media 2005 Annual Report on American Journalism) around
the world. As the online journalists stated in the focus groups, this processing technology of
the speed at which content is posted is the infrastructure that supports the rapid response time
for receiving and posting news on the Web and has in turn changed the news production
process for many of these online journalists on a local but also global scale. Distribution
Technology Our last finding among the online journalists concerns distribution. Pavlik
recognizes distribution technology as the “networking, or telecommunications, technologies
for publishing or moving content from one location to another or many others.” He states
examples of these include broadband connections, video editing software, wireless
technologies and peer to peer computer-based file sharing. In this study, we would also like to
addend to Pavlik’s list is the feedback loop from the end user back to the journalist as another
form of distribution technology (Pavlik, 2005, p.249-250). As an online journalist from
Britain stated that the Internet medium naturally lends itself to being a method in which
content is to be shared with the audience and for feedback to be given in return, “The most
distinctive characteristic for the online medium for me is the ability to reach so many people
and to have them feed back into the newsgathering process in ways that don’t happen with old
media.” The distribution of the content breaks the barrier of being one-way but more of a
partnership. For other online journalists the aspect of being able to give content to their
readers and have them access it at any point in time makes that interaction with the audience
come to life according to an online journalist from Mexico, “When compared to print, is
timeliness, when compared to radio and tv, we can maintain permanent archives, and most
importantly, have a permanent two way communication with our audience.” In this case, the
distribution technology can also be considered a matter of service than a product for the
online reader. Other online journalists during the focus groups cited that the medium lends
itself to being a form of open source or citizen’s journalism. The majority agreed that
involving 11
the audience with their feedback could enhance and contextualize a news story. This
viewpoint by our participants makes the concept of Pavlik’s distribution technology not as
passive but more of an active stream of communication and information. This is an aspect that
was discussed thoroughly in the first findings of the results section earlier in this study in how
the online journalists aim to fulfill the dual role of reaching out to the audience on a local and
global scale. The distribution technology aspect that our study addresses brings out the aspect
of the technology that empowers the communication between the journalist and the online
user. It allows for Pavlik’s concept to go beyond the one-way model of content distribution
but supports another dimension that incorporates a cyclical process that does not necessarily
end with the journalist or with the audience. Limitations In concluding our results from the
study, it is necessary to mention the limitations to our study. These results are not to represent
all online journalists but serve as an example of what a small sample of international online
journalists perceive and believe their daily job and routines are comprised of. However, it’s
only through continual study, observation and dialog with journalists in this medium can we
have a better understanding of how this medium is evolving and how the actors perform in
this medium and operate within it (Boczkowski, 2004). Second, as for the method utilized in
this study, the online focus group, the discussions proved to be quite fruitful and the
participants comfortable with the format. This discussion with online journalists, with an
international perspective, would have been impossible without the use of the online
technology. But, one of the downsides of using this technique, is the lack of physical
communication (body and face expressions), which are very important in a focus group. Also,
since this can be done anywhere, just as long as the participant has a computer and Internet
connection, the focused attention to the debate cannot be accounted for. A possible way of
overcoming a few of these technological limitations in the debate with journalists is to use
webcams, as technology evolves. This would enhance the non-verbal communication and has
the potential of focusing the attention of the group. Conclusion The global time and space
continuum that the online journalists in this study face and operate in daily at their
corresponding news organizations is challenging but transformational. The findings in this
study show that the globalization of the Internet has allowed journalists in the online medium
to have access to more information, resources, tools, and the audience at a faster pace and
more than ever before, but it is not a new phenomenon. The aspect that is interesting in this
study is how these journalists operate within a global village that is more interconnected than
ever before, yet they fulfill a dual role of meeting global and local content needs and those of
their readers. In addition, the journalists in this study demonstrated how the impact of the
Internet has lifted the barriers in reaching out to the audience and making them a part of the
daily news production process. Technology has also shown in this study how much the
toolbox that these online journalists access is the same but how they view and use the tools in
the toolbox differs from story to story, application to purpose and not to mention, how the
technology (acquisition devices, processing and distribution technologies) are perceived by
these online journalists within their own cultural context. According to Pavlik, the impact of
technology in online journalism impact several areas in news production from storytelling
forms to the relationships between the media company and their many publics that include
audiences, competitors, and advertisers for example. (Pavlik, 2005, p.252) However, these
aspects are not conclusive in their own right, but require additional research and investigation
beyond this study in an effort to help show where the journalism industry and its relation on a
global scale is heading for the 21 st century. 13
This study begins to demonstrate and to address the question of how much globalization is
changing journalism in the role of the journalist and the resources available to them via
technology that journalists use or access in conducting their daily job routines whether they
are in a newsroom in Brazil or Britain. 14
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