News content online: Patterns and norms under convergence dynamics

Abstract

The article investigates evolutionary trends in online news presentation and delivery in the light of convergence dynamics. The case study of Greece is an example of how convergence ideas are ‘normalised’ in the actual content due to countering forces exercised by the dominant professional culture and organisational models in the news business. The findings provide evidence that the outcomes of this new culture of high interconnectivity that come along with convergence cannot be ignored even in countries with no advanced employment of its potentialities. At the same time, questions on whether, under conditions of scarce resources and a weak journalistic culture, convergence affordances actually create spaces for a more open and inclusive journalism or are used mainly as vehicles for economic survival, smothering any other potential, are raised.

Legacy and Native News Brands Online: Do They Show Different News Consumption Patterns?

“…Some authors even speak about the "mythological" character of the implementation of features such as interactivity or immediacy in online journalism (Domingo, 2008;Lim, 2012). In fact, what in its early stages was seen as a revolution and a radical transformation of news media led by new technologies has evolved into a process of gradual change, of convergence between the old and the new ways of doing things (Doudaki & Spyridou, 2015;Masip, Díaz-Noci, Domingo, Micó-Sanz, & Salaverría, 2010;Salaverría & García Avilés, 2008).…”

“…These differences should be linked to the different nature of legacy brands in comparison to native brands with regard to content (some offline and online, and others only the latter), their positioning in news markets (traditional quality brands first and new media brands second), and their business models (with payment for content as a more or less real or potential source of income). This general hypothesis is based on two arguments supported by previous research: on the one hand, the fact that audiences/users perceive and use different types of online news differently, and that Web newspapers do not generate the same learning effects about public affairs and the same convergence dynamics compared to other types of news sites (De Waal & Schoenbach, 2008Doudaki & Spyridou, 2015); on the other hand, as regards the online versions of legacy media, researchers in media management have considered media websites in terms of brand extensions, and the prevailing idea is that the use of the same brand name in different channels is an attempt to leverage the brand's equity. Brand equity manifests itself both indirectly as brand awareness and brand image, and also directly as different consumer behavior (Förster, 2015;Horppu, Kuivalainen, Tarkiainen, & Ellonen, 2008;Shaver & Shaver, 2008;Tarkiainen, Ellonen, & Kuivalainen, 2009).…”

SEO inside Newsrooms: Reports from the Field

“…On the other hand, many people look for specific information, and their priorities area convenience, rapid access, and accuracy [11]. As internet technologies have brought about new modes of producing and consuming news content, many changes are observed in basic journalistic work processes, such as newsgathering, news production and distribution, and the way people consume news [12][13][14][15][16][17]. The journalistic profession is changing.…”

“…The journalistic profession is changing. Journalists and news media organizations are required to adapt to the new conditions, to become competitive and respond to the needs of the market by making the most of their resources [14,16,18]. News websites, online radio and web TV, are the main areas of action.…”

The Internet’s Transformative Power on Journalism Culture in Greece

“…Until now, scholarly attention on online journalism in Greece has revealed mixed results in terms of journalists' reception and engagement with the internet. In a content analysis of four of the most popular Greek online newspapers, Doudaki and Spyridou (2015) discovered that although traditional models of news organisation and production still govern the Greek online media, selective ideas of journalism 2.0 are also employed. Greek online media appear to stand in-between the traditional and the new world of media, taking one step forward and two steps back in tradition.…”