Social Media’s Challenge to Journalistic Norms and Values during a Terror Attack

Abstract

Over the past decade, the frequency of terror attacks around the world has increased. In the context of the 22 July 2011 terror attacks in Norway, social media use by citizens, and even victims, became an essential feature of reporting. Social media confronted the legacy media’s way of covering crisis events. It raised questions about traditional journalism’s ability to handle audience’s as, not only news consumers, but also producers. In the present article, we look at the ways in which the professional norms and values of traditional journalism are specifically challenged by social media use in times of terror, using the 22 July 2011 attacks as a case study. We find that Norwegian journalists initially held to their professional roles, and to the classic self-representational principles of journalism, including objectivity, autonomy and immediacy. When they integrated social media into their traditional platforms and modes of coverage, they framed it as a “source” of sorts. As the 22 July 2011 event coverage became more focused on the collective grief felt by the nation, in turn, the traditional journalistic principles of objectivity and autonomy became less relevant, enabling yet more audience participation and social media use in relation to the attack.

Keywords:

• 22 July 2011 terror attacks
• journalistic norms and values
• social media
• terror attacks

Notes

1. See, for example, http://www.aftenposten.no/norge/--Mediene-satte-oss-i-livsfare-576028b.html, 18 October 2011.

2. A studio anchor at TV2 News, however, pointed out when reading this article in February 2016, five years after the incident, that if he had turned to social media more quickly at that time, he would have been better informed when he interviewed the Prime Minister. This prompts the question whether social media is even more important as a journalistic tool during crisis events as compared to everyday work.

3. “Torry” refers to Editor-in-Chief Torry Pedersen at VG/VG Nett.