Novel organizational forms in journalism

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Juergen Rösch, since 1/2024
• Subject Area: Communication Sciences
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 462081165

News production studies in communication research primarily focus on the traditional newsroom model. It is considered a central factor for the production of public communication and thus for the role that journalism can play in democratic societies.Other organizational forms are rarely examined in detail in news production studies. This is surprising, since existing research and our own studies document a diverse spectrum of novel forms of news work beyond the traditional newsroom. While it is evident that alternative structures, coordination processes, and work practices are being explored in these environments, knowledge of the organization of news work, aside from the established newsroom model, is still very limited. News production research fails to make use of insightful prototypical forms of organization that might be capable of anticipating future developments in journalism.This need is addressed by the proposed research project: where is news created for an informed, critical public sphere in times of increasing digitization? Which innovations in organizational structures, editorial processes and journalistic work practices can be identified here? And, most importantly, which organizational forms can offer the conditions required for journalism to continue fulfilling its societal role?To answer these questions, this project pursues three main goals:(1.) An empirically based typology of novel organizational forms of news production will be developed, revealing the diversity of the German field for the first time. The starting point will be newly-founded journalistic ventures and start-ups, which, according to the current state of research, are often characterized by alternative forms of work organization.(2.) Based on this typology, and by applying multi-method case study research, representatives of the organizational forms identified will be explored in depth, in terms of structures, processes and practices. These factors shape journalistic work and thus the character of media content. Research is based on an open explorative theoretical approach, and follows up on the ethnographic roots of news production studies, thus making use of participatory observation, semi-standardized interviews and document analysis.(3.) The result is an empirical and theoretical extension of news production research, enhancing the classic news production and news work research, and helping to assess the influence of novel organizational forms on the societal role of journalism.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Christopher Buschow, until 12/2023