Veebiajakirjanike tööd mõjutavad tegurid

Abstract

Factors influencing work of online journalists. Aim of present bachelor thesis is to find out main factors influencing the work of Estonian online journalists. Part of the aim is to map out their values in agenda setting and individual and organizational regulation in dealing with mistakes. The latter is closely related to the issues of transparency of newsroom work processes. The study also examines which professional skills are requisite in online-newsrooms, and how this in turn influences the self-identity of online reporter in comparison with conventional work routines of reporter working for paper edition. The empirical grounds for this study were set through ethnographical survey of two online reporters. Newsroom observations gave an input to framing the plan of in depth interviews that constitute the empirical material of present study. The results show that main factors influencing the work of an online journalist are environmental conditions of the newsroom, multitasking, organisational requirements on the number of news units, in-flow of newsworthy material to the newsroom, and competition with other online newspapers. The latter four are closely connected by another factor – time pressure and tempo. Time and tempo also influence the editing process of news units. The units are edited subsequently to publishing and there seems to be no fixed system for the correction of mistakes. The amount and prevalence of factual and linguistic mistakes was marked as one of the biggest issue for all Estonian news sites and their journalists. One interesting point that turned out to be problem for almost all respondents was the complexity of their identification. Most journalists didn’t know if they should identify themselves as reporter, editor or if they are journalists at all. The more versatile working tasks online reporters come in contact with, the more dissolved their identity seems to be. Online reporters seem to be confused in identifying themselves as reporters or editors. This may be conditioned by unregulated roles that online journalists have to carry out. Tempo was marked as one of the attribute essential for online journalist and in online journalism in general. Another aspect that was emphasised as significant skill for online journalist was technical competence (video and photo recording and editing). Independence and ability to work singly was another aspect pointed out as essential skill. This study was also an input to my supervisor’s research made in online newsroom of Swedish biggest tabloid newspaper Expressen, so in this bachelor thesis some Estonian results are compared with routines and values of Expressen’s journalists, but not all results, because my tutor’s research is yet to be finished completely. Keywords: professional skills, multi-skilled professionalism, transparency, convergence, online-journalism, online-journalist identity, news room work process regulation.