An online disconnect : a case study of the effect of social media on a metropolitan newsroom's organizational culture
Abstract
This research explores the role of social media use in a traditional newsroom by examining how reporters and editors use social media tools, particularly Twitter and Facebook, in their day-to-day work activities. It uses the theoretical framework of organizational culture to understand how social media is used in story generation, source development, and promotion of news stories. The researcher used a case study consisting of nearly four weeks of newsroom observations, nineteen interviews, and the analysis of more than 400 tweets from The Metropolitan Post, a newspaper in the American Midwest, to understand how the newsroom's culture was changing as a result of social media use. The research identified that the culture of this particular newsroom was not changing due to lack of leadership, communication, and a clear understanding of how to use social media.
Degree
M.A.