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Abstract
This study of local British newspaper journalists focuses on three aspects of entrenched newsroom culture—news values and norms, work routines and outputs, and occupational roles—to explore the boundaries that journalists see as distinguishing them from outside contributors. Findings suggest they view user-generated content (UGC) from a traditional professional perspective and weigh its benefits in terms of its contribution to the journalism they produce. While most are open to its inclusion on newspaper websites, particularly as a traffic builder and supplemental source of hyperlocal information, they believe UGC can undermine journalistic norms and values unless carefully monitored—a gatekeeping task they fear cannot fit within newsroom routines threatened by resource constraints of increasing severity.
Acknowledgements
The author gratefully thanks research assistant Louise Thomas for her invaluable help with all stages of this study; Johnston Press Group Editorial Development Executive David Rowell for his crucial assistance in distributing the questionnaire; and executives and journalists at Johnston Press for their support of, and contributions to, this work.
Notes
1. Although she is employed by a British university, the author has a professional connection with JP, which is seeking ways to make more effective use of UGC. Beyond approval for undertaking this study and help with a pre-test, company executives did not influence creation of the questionnaire, analysis of the responses or production of this article.