Spurring or Blurring Professional Standards? The Role of Digital Technology in Implementing Journalistic Role Ideals in Contemporary Newsrooms

Cornelia Mothes; Claudia Mellado; Sandrine Boudana; Marju Himma; David Nolan; Karen McIntyre; Claudia Kozman; Daniel C. Hallin; Pauline Amiel; Colette Brin; Yi Ning Katherine Chen; Sergey Davydov; Mariana De Maio; Filip Dingerkus; Rasha El-Ibiary; Maximiliano Frías Vázquez; Antje Glück; Miguel Garcés-Prettel; María Luisa Humanes; Sophie Lecheler; Misook Lee; Christi I-Hsuan Lin; Mireya Márquez-Ramírez; Jorge Maza-Córdova; Marco Mazzoni; Jacques Mick; Ana Milojevic; Cristina Navarro; Dasniel Olivera Pérez; Marcela Pizarro; Fergal Quinn; Gonzalo Sarasqueta; Terje Skjerdal; Agnieszka Stępińska; Gabriella Szabó; Sarah Van Leuven

doi:10.1177/10776990241246692

Spurring or Blurring Professional Standards? The Role of Digital Technology in Implementing Journalistic Role Ideals in Contemporary Newsrooms

Cornelia Mothes
, Claudia Mellado
, Sandrine Boudana
, Marju Himma
, David Nolan
, Karen McIntyre
, Claudia Kozman
, Daniel C. Hallin
, Pauline Amiel
, Colette Brin
, Yi Ning Katherine Chen
, Sergey Davydov
, Mariana De Maio
, Filip Dingerkus
, Rasha El-Ibiary
, Maximiliano Frías Vázquez
, Antje Glück
, Miguel Garcés-Prettel
, María Luisa Humanes
, Sophie Lecheler

Misook Lee, Christi I-Hsuan Lin, Mireya Márquez-Ramírez, Jorge Maza-Córdova, Marco Mazzoni, Jacques Mick, Ana Milojevic, Cristina Navarro, Dasniel Olivera Pérez, Marcela Pizarro, Fergal Quinn, Gonzalo Sarasqueta, Terje Skjerdal, Agnieszka Stępińska, Gabriella Szabó, Sarah Van Leuven

Macromedia University of Applied Sciences
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
Tel Aviv University
University of Tartu
University of Canberra
Virginia Commonwealth University
Northwestern University
University of California at San Diego
Aix-Marseille Université
Université Laval
National Chengchi University
Higher School of Economics
Lehigh University
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Future University in Egypt
Universidad de Salamanca
Bournemouth University
Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
University of Vienna
Otsuma Women's University
Rikkyo University
Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA)
Universidad Técnica de Machala
University of Perugia
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
University of Belgrade
Gulf University for Science and Technology
Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla
University of London
‎Universidad Camilo José Cela
NLA University College
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
Centre for Social Sciences
Ghent University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study examines the perceived relevance and implementation of competing normative ideals in journalism in times of increasing use of digital technology in newsrooms. Based on survey and content analysis data from 37 countries, we found a small positive relationship between the use of digital research tools and “watchdog” performance. However, a stronger and negative relationship emerged between the use of digital audience analytics and the performance of “watchdog” and “civic” roles, leading to an overall increase in conception–performance gaps on both roles. Moreover, journalists’ use of digital community tools was more strongly and positively associated with “infotainment” and “interventionism.”.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	88-119
Number of pages	32
Journal	Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly
Volume	102
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990241246692
Publication status	Published - Mar 2025

Keywords

audience metrics
news quality
role conception
role performance
social media

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10.1177/10776990241246692

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Mothes, C., Mellado, C., Boudana, S., Himma, M., Nolan, D., McIntyre, K., Kozman, C., Hallin, D. C., Amiel, P., Brin, C., Katherine Chen, Y. N., Davydov, S., De Maio, M., Dingerkus, F., El-Ibiary, R., Frías Vázquez, M., Glück, A., Garcés-Prettel, M., Luisa Humanes, M., ... Van Leuven, S. (2025). Spurring or Blurring Professional Standards? The Role of Digital Technology in Implementing Journalistic Role Ideals in Contemporary Newsrooms. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 102(1), 88-119. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990241246692

@article{6d42991b51794bdc891ca308d6267f22,

title = "Spurring or Blurring Professional Standards? The Role of Digital Technology in Implementing Journalistic Role Ideals in Contemporary Newsrooms",

abstract = "This study examines the perceived relevance and implementation of competing normative ideals in journalism in times of increasing use of digital technology in newsrooms. Based on survey and content analysis data from 37 countries, we found a small positive relationship between the use of digital research tools and “watchdog” performance. However, a stronger and negative relationship emerged between the use of digital audience analytics and the performance of “watchdog” and “civic” roles, leading to an overall increase in conception–performance gaps on both roles. Moreover, journalists{\textquoteright} use of digital community tools was more strongly and positively associated with “infotainment” and “interventionism.”.",

keywords = "audience metrics, news quality, role conception, role performance, social media",

author = "Cornelia Mothes and Claudia Mellado and Sandrine Boudana and Marju Himma and David Nolan and Karen McIntyre and Claudia Kozman and Hallin, \{Daniel C.\} and Pauline Amiel and Colette Brin and \{Katherine Chen\}, \{Yi Ning\} and Sergey Davydov and \{De Maio\}, Mariana and Filip Dingerkus and Rasha El-Ibiary and \{Fr{\'i}as V{\'a}zquez\}, Maximiliano and Antje Gl{\"u}ck and Miguel Garc{\'e}s-Prettel and \{Luisa Humanes\}, Mar{\'i}a and Sophie Lecheler and Misook Lee and \{I-Hsuan Lin\}, Christi and Mireya M{\'a}rquez-Ram{\'i}rez and Jorge Maza-C{\'o}rdova and Marco Mazzoni and Jacques Mick and Ana Milojevic and Cristina Navarro and \{Olivera P{\'e}rez\}, Dasniel and Marcela Pizarro and Fergal Quinn and Gonzalo Sarasqueta and Terje Skjerdal and Agnieszka St{\c e}pi{\'n}ska and Gabriella Szab{\'o} and \{Van Leuven\}, Sarah",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 AEJMC.",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1177/10776990241246692",

language = "English",

volume = "102",

pages = "88--119",

journal = "Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly",

issn = "1077-6990",

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Mothes, C, Mellado, C, Boudana, S, Himma, M, Nolan, D, McIntyre, K, Kozman, C, Hallin, DC, Amiel, P, Brin, C, Katherine Chen, YN, Davydov, S, De Maio, M, Dingerkus, F, El-Ibiary, R, Frías Vázquez, M, Glück, A, Garcés-Prettel, M, Luisa Humanes, M, Lecheler, S, Lee, M, I-Hsuan Lin, C, Márquez-Ramírez, M, Maza-Córdova, J, Mazzoni, M, Mick, J, Milojevic, A, Navarro, C, Olivera Pérez, D, Pizarro, M, Quinn, F, Sarasqueta, G, Skjerdal, T, Stępińska, A, Szabó, G & Van Leuven, S 2025, 'Spurring or Blurring Professional Standards? The Role of Digital Technology in Implementing Journalistic Role Ideals in Contemporary Newsrooms', Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, vol. 102, no. 1, pp. 88-119. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990241246692

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AU - Mothes, Cornelia

AU - Mellado, Claudia

AU - Boudana, Sandrine

AU - Himma, Marju

AU - Nolan, David

AU - McIntyre, Karen

AU - Kozman, Claudia

AU - Hallin, Daniel C.

AU - Amiel, Pauline

AU - Brin, Colette

AU - Katherine Chen, Yi Ning

AU - Davydov, Sergey

AU - De Maio, Mariana

AU - Dingerkus, Filip

AU - El-Ibiary, Rasha

AU - Frías Vázquez, Maximiliano

AU - Glück, Antje

AU - Garcés-Prettel, Miguel

AU - Luisa Humanes, María

AU - Lecheler, Sophie

AU - Lee, Misook

AU - I-Hsuan Lin, Christi

AU - Márquez-Ramírez, Mireya

AU - Maza-Córdova, Jorge

AU - Mazzoni, Marco

AU - Mick, Jacques

AU - Milojevic, Ana

AU - Navarro, Cristina

AU - Olivera Pérez, Dasniel

AU - Pizarro, Marcela

AU - Quinn, Fergal

AU - Sarasqueta, Gonzalo

AU - Skjerdal, Terje

AU - Stępińska, Agnieszka

AU - Szabó, Gabriella

AU - Van Leuven, Sarah

PY - 2025/3

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N2 - This study examines the perceived relevance and implementation of competing normative ideals in journalism in times of increasing use of digital technology in newsrooms. Based on survey and content analysis data from 37 countries, we found a small positive relationship between the use of digital research tools and “watchdog” performance. However, a stronger and negative relationship emerged between the use of digital audience analytics and the performance of “watchdog” and “civic” roles, leading to an overall increase in conception–performance gaps on both roles. Moreover, journalists’ use of digital community tools was more strongly and positively associated with “infotainment” and “interventionism.”.

AB - This study examines the perceived relevance and implementation of competing normative ideals in journalism in times of increasing use of digital technology in newsrooms. Based on survey and content analysis data from 37 countries, we found a small positive relationship between the use of digital research tools and “watchdog” performance. However, a stronger and negative relationship emerged between the use of digital audience analytics and the performance of “watchdog” and “civic” roles, leading to an overall increase in conception–performance gaps on both roles. Moreover, journalists’ use of digital community tools was more strongly and positively associated with “infotainment” and “interventionism.”.

KW - audience metrics

KW - news quality

KW - role conception

KW - role performance

KW - social media

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85196638440

U2 - 10.1177/10776990241246692

DO - 10.1177/10776990241246692

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85196638440

SN - 1077-6990

VL - 102

SP - 88

EP - 119

JO - Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly

JF - Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly

IS - 1

ER -

Spurring or Blurring Professional Standards? The Role of Digital Technology in Implementing Journalistic Role Ideals in Contemporary Newsrooms

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