Trust and Fear in the Newsroom: How Emotions Drive the Exchange of Innovative Ideas

Figures & data

Table 1. Research observational days in the field and the number of open interviews held.

Data type	Newsroom		Totals
	NRC Media (2017)	Trouw (2018)
Observation days	52 days	51 days	103 days
Open interviews	70 interviews	62 interviews	132 interviews

Table 2. Social hierarchy in the newsroom: five relevant social groups.

Social status (from high to low)	Social sub-group	Definition group participants
Newsroom elites	Newsroom establishment	Individuals with a contract in an established position, rooted in experience. Sometimes ex-management, but not always. Hold a writing position. Viewed by others as “untouchable” and independent from management.
	Usual suspects	Individuals with a contract targeted by editors in chief to participate in special projects and receive special attention. Hold a writing position. Viewed by others as privileged by, as well as close to, management.
	Happy few	Individuals with a contract who share creative or new ideas with editors in chief on their own initiative and have their support. Hold, mostly, a writing position. Viewed by others as privileged by, as well as close to, management.
Larger newsroom	Silent majority	Individuals with a contract, part of the majority of the newsroom. Hold a writing, editing (word people) or image (picture people) job. Viewed by others as neutral in privileges and closeness to management.
	Flex people	Individuals with a flexible contract and at the bottom of the hierarchy. Work in shifts in text/image editing, online/multi-media and writing positions. Viewed by others as the non-privileged and as distant from management.