Eesti ajakirjanike rollikäsituse muutumine 1988 – 2009
Date
2010
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
The press has changed a great deal in recent years due to both economic and
technological factors. In addition to traditional – the so-called one-to-many or we-writeyou-
read communication models –, networks based on the production and distribution of
decentralised information have also undergone expansion.
The objective of the thesis titled “Changing Role Perceptions of Estonian Journalists
(1988–2009)” was to study the role awareness of journalists and possible changes thereof
that have occurred in time.
The journalists’ role perception was analysed using the following study questions.
1. Which are the journalists’ representations of their roles during the period
fundamental technological and economic changes (2009)?
2. Which are the changes in the role perception of journalists?
3. Whether and how do the journalists perceive contradictions in their role,
role conflicts?
The theoretical part of the work provides an overview of the role of the press in general,
typologies of the journalists’ role as well as the internal and external impacting factors in
the role perception of journalists. The second chapter examines the role perception of
journalists by analysing the results of surveys conducted in 1988, 1995 and 2009. The
third chapter concentrates on the journalists’ perceptions of their role on the basis of
interviews conducted with them in 2009.
By analysing the survey results and the interviews, a multifaceted role image emerged –
the interviewees perceived role functions that related to dissemination, interpretation and
countraction, whereas the concept of a journalist as a gatekeeper was found to be
important. There are members of the press for whom working as a journalist is an
ordinary paid labour.
The author of the thesis found that there are several professional basic and consistent
values characteristic to the occupation of a journalist, but special attention should be
given to the increasingly individualistic character of a journalist.
The analysis revealed several role conflicts: in particular, the professional values of a
journalist and the interest of an organisation were often found to be in conflict. First and
foremost, role conflicts were evident in relation to online media; the journalists noted that
their work is negatively influenced by certain group pressure or a compulsion to work
faster, more productively and by offering more stories that “sell”, at the same time
compromising on the professional principles of journalists. However, the journalists
treated several limitations to their autonomy as natural.
Keywords
magistritööd, Eesti, ajakirjandus, ajakirjanikud, rollianalüüs, 1990-ndad, 2000-ndad, küsitlusuuringud