Abstract
Online journalism is associated with, among other characteristics, a breaking-news culture and sense of immediacy. However, in an era of falling resources, questions must be asked about how demand for quick content is fulfilled and what role external actors play in providing material to journalists under pressure. This article focuses on coverage of health policy over 14 weeks, looking at the outputs and strategies of three newspaper-brand websites in Ireland. The study, using qualitative content analysis, traces the origins of each story; of primary interest is material from information subsidies, wire reports and content repackaged from other media reports. The sample is divided into two categories: (1) stories uploaded during the day (defined as being between 6 am and midnight) and (2) stories uploaded overnight (typically delayed for the print edition), with the aim of determining what, if any, relationship exists between the time of publication and the level of repackaged content, which may include churnalism. Structuration theory is used to consider the system of news production. At its core is a duality: structures such as time pressure and resources interact with journalistic agency, manifested through decisions on source selection and publishing schedules.
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