The new Norm

Abstract

This article examines how one Central Florida newspaper used emerging media technologies to communicate and engage better with a newly active audience during its coverage of two high-profile court trials. Through a series of in-depth interviews with participating journalists, the author demonstrates how the Orlando Sentinel disrupted traditional newsgathering and dissemination methods during reporting of the Casey Anthony and George Zimmerman trials, and in doing so, challenged long-standing gatekeeping media theories and exemplified emerging participatory journalism models. Findings show that audience demands for live and continuous information throughout the development of the Casey Anthony and George Zimmerman stories and resulting court proceedings were a driving force in changing outdated journalism paradigms that led to the adaptation of a new norm by the Orlando Sentinel newsroom and journalists.

KEYWORDS:

• Casey Anthony
• digital disruption
• gatekeeping
• George Zimmerman
• Orlando Sentinel
• participatory journalism
• social media
• Trayvon Martin

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I want to thank Dr. Johanna Cleary, Associate Professor Emeritus, University of Florida, for her continuous support and guidance throughout the research, writing, and editing of this paper.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.