Media Organizations Research Articles

Information technology and business strategic alignment in small and medium organizations: an exploratory study in Mexico

Purpose This qualitative study aims to fill gaps in a widely studied and relevant organizational feature: the alignment between information technologies and business strategies. Design/methodology/approach This research is a qualitative study. The authors used focus groups, content analysis and semantic networks as research approaches to identify the main factors that prevent or foster such alignment. Findings Results reveal a leading role of innovation, organizational culture, access to information and financial factors that could promote or inhibit alignment and competitiveness. Originality/value This research was conducted only in small and medium organizations in Mexico, which represents about 52% of the Mexican Gross Domestic Product (for Mexico as one of the leading trade partners of the USA).

Prospects for Investigative Reporting in Private Media Organization in Nigeria: A Case Study of Unity FM and Al’barka Radio

Prospects for Investigative Reporting in Private Media Organization in Nigeria: A Case Study of Unity FM and Al’barka Radio

Australian journalism and challenges of climate change reporting: Lessons for journalists and academics

A steadily increasing body of scholarship on Australian media coverage of climate change in Pacific Island countries has emerged over the past two decades. Often critical of journalists and media organizations, this body of research still offers much to learn about Australian journalism and coverage of climate change and its impact on Pacific Island countries. Also significant, are lessons that can be learned about the state of research on this subject. The article draws out common themes in the discussion and raises questions about the ways in which journalists and media organizations are framed in scholarship relating to climate change. Through a review of published literature and media content analysis, lessons for journalists, media organizations and academics are outlined. The article contends that there is need for more research on Australian media reporting on climate change in Pacific Island countries. The authors note that there is room for positivity about the future of Australian reporting on climate change in the region.

Meta-Analysis of AI Research in Journalism

The use of artificial intelligence tools in newsrooms is revolutionary and controversial as well. Despite the promising opportunities provided by AI to enhance digital journalism practice, it also raises several legal, professional, and ethical considerations. Research about AI in Arab media is a promising area of interest that increasingly attracts scholars. However, there is a need for systematic and purposive growth in future research about AI and media, that considers the socio-cultural and economic contexts of countries and meets the priorities and needs of media organizations. Accordingly, this paper provides researchers with an overview of the main challenges and debates in the field of AI and journalism studies. This study applies a systematic review of a sample of English written studies from 2014 to 2022 about the implications, challenges and considerations of using AI in newsrooms. Based on the analysis, the study proposed a future research agenda about AI and journa

The Influence of Job Involvement, Leader Member Exchange (LMX), and Emotional Intelligence on Employee Performance Through Organizational Commitment at Serambi Indonesia

A mass media organization's ability to succeed is largely dependent on its workforce. Excessive job targets encourage productivity and follow rules, which can cause feelings to rise and negatively impact performance and relationships among coworkers. Through organizational commitment at the Serambi Indonesia office, the goal of this research is to ascertain the impact of job involvement, LMX (Leader-Member Exchange), and emotional intelligence on staff performance. Questionnaires are used to gather data for this quantitative study design. 62 Serambi Indonesia workers make up the sample. Probability sampling is the sample method employed. Using the SmartPLS application as assistance, data analysis techniques include the outer and inner models. As demonstrated by the findings, job participation significantly and favorably affects organizational commitment and worker performance. Performance and organizational commitment from employees are unaffected by LMX. On organizational commitment, emotional intelligence has a favorable and substantial impact. There is no relationship between emotional intelligence and worker performance. Employee performance is significantly and favorably impacted by organizational commitment. Through organizational commitment, work involvement and emotional intelligence impact performance. Organizational commitment made by LMX has no effect on worker performance

Moonlighting as a Survival Strategy for Journalists in Southwest Nigeria

This study examines the prevalence and implications of moonlighting among journalists in Southwest Nigeria within the context of the evolving online journalism landscape. As traditional media outlets face financial challenges and digital platforms reshape news consumption patterns, many journalists are turning to secondary employment to supplement their income. Through a mixed-methods approach combining surveys and in-depth interviews with 150 journalists from Southwest Nigeria, this research explores the motivations, forms, and consequences of moonlighting practices. The findings reveal that over 70% of respondents engage in some form of moonlighting, with content creation, freelance writing, and digital marketing being the most common secondary activities. The study also found that, while moonlighting provides essential financial support, it also raises concerns about journalistic integrity, work-life balance, and the quality of news production. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the changing nature of journalism in the digital age and offers insights for media organizations, policymakers, and journalism educators in Southwest Nigeria and beyond.

Influence of Gratification on Political Reporting in Nigeria (A Case Study of Magic FM, Aba, Abia State, Nigeria)

This research study aims to examine the impact of gratification on political relationships in Nigeria. The Nigerian media system is characterized by a high level of government interference and limited freedom of expression. It is therefore relevant to examine the extent to which gratification shapes the political reporting of Nigerian journalists. The study employed a mixed research method involving the use of semi-structured interviews and content analysis of news articles. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 50 journalists covering political news in Nigeria. The interviews were conducted to discover the underlying reasons that influence their decision-making process in covering political news. Content analysis was used to examine the content of political articles to determine the extent to which it is influenced by satisfaction. The findings revealed that satisfaction plays an important role in how journalists cover politics in Nigeria. Journalists received gifts, favors and money in exchange for favorable political news coverage. These rewards have affected his objectivity, professionalism and credibility. Furthermore, the results revealed that government officials are the most important source of rewards that journalists receive. Content analysis revealed that reporting on political news in Nigeria was biased, unprofessional and lacked objectivity. The reports were often biased towards the interests of government officials who liked the reporters. The results also showed that the most publicized political issues in Nigeria were those favoring government officials. Implications of the study suggest that satisfaction should be addressed to improve the quality of political reporting in Nigeria. It is recommended that media organizations regularly provide training and education to journalists on ethics, professionalism and objectivity. In addition, the government should enforce laws that criminalize gratification, and journalists should be encouraged to report any acts of gratification. This study provides insight into the impact of satisfaction on political journalism in Nigeria. The findings suggest that satisfaction is an important factor influencing the objectivity, professionalism and credibility of political reporting in Nigeria. The implications of this study are expected to help improve the quality of political reporting in Nigeria and increase public confidence in the work of Nigerian journalists.

Framing Responsibility for Depression in News Media: A Content Analysis of Depression Coverage on Sina Weibo

Depression stands as a pivotal health issue, notable both within the medical community and in society at large, and it is a leading contributor to disability. The prevalence of depression is on the rise, with a divergence of views on its cause attribution and solution responsibility for addressing it. It is crucial, therefore, to inform the public about these complexities. Given that news media are pivotal in disseminating health information and significantly shape public perceptions, attitudes, emotions, and the assignment of responsibility, this research employs a quantitative content analysis to assess the prevalence of framing responsibility for both the causes and potential solutions of depression at individual, social network, and societal levels. The results show that solution responsibilities for depression were reported more commonly than the causes. Meanwhile, attribution of responsibility for causes was tended to be at the individual, while solutions were on society. Social network played a major role in attributing both casual and problem-solving responsibilities as an independent level. Further, state-controlled media focused on societal responsible for addressing the issue and emphasized individual-level causal responsibilities more than market-oriented media organizations, which is likely to make societal-level responsibility attribution.

Banned in sports, ignored in media, stigmatized in society: transgender athletes in Turkey

ABSTRACT Social, cultural, and political ideologies have a significant impact on gender policies. In traditional societies, gender identities beyond those determined by an individual’s biological sex at birth are disregarded and stigmatized. In this respect, sport is of great significance for transgender individuals as a field of visibility and struggle. However, political decisions taken by international and national federations on sporting grounds lead to the exclusion of transgender athletes from sports activities. The present study examines the reactions of X users to the decision of World Athletics to ban transgender women from competing in the women’s category. In this direction, comments posted on the X accounts of traditional mass media organizations (n = 7) and digital news producers (n = 14) operating in Turkey who reported on World Athletics’ decision on X were analyzed through qualitative and quantitative content analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that traditional mass media avoided reporting the event. Moreover, while most of the comments posted by users (93.35%) consisted of content in support of the decision, it was found that cultural (18.50%) and religious (17.44%) themes also stood out. It was also found that transgender athletes were stigmatized with discourses including keywords such as “mutant.”

Impact of Photojournalism on Readers’ Exposure and Retention: A Study on Cognitive Level of Bangladeshi Audience

Since our world is so connected these days, growth of digital devices, news, and media organizations will pay a high premium for the greatest and most interesting photographs available. As events unfold, it's easy to feel cynicism and skepticism. Word travels fast, and many search for the most trustworthy and reliable sources of information. Photojournalists are present, alongside more traditionaljournalists, to create a story that speaks for itself. Using the qualitative research method, this study primarily focuses on the social cognition theory to demonstrate the effect of photojournalism on readers' exposure and retention. The purpose of thisresearch is to show that visual aids like photographs can significantly improve memory retention. The visual aid greatly increases the chances of remembering what was read. Images that aren't directly associated with the text tend to be forgotten quickly. In this study, social cognition theory is applied to the people of Chattogram to determine the optimal conditions for maximizing reader engagement and knowledge retention focusing on the cognitive level of the audiences. This research also demonstrates the wide variety of quick-read news stories available in visual formats. Pictures in the news need to be just the right size to keep the attention of the readers.150 people from the general public aged between 18-30 were chosen for this study and three renowned newspapers from both online and offline modes (Daily Ittefaq, The Daily Star, and Bdnews24.com) were selected for gathering data. Research results lend considerable credence to social cognition arguments.

‘We cracked a hole in this very white structure’: Indigenous journalism practices in mainstream Australian news organisations

A new wave of anti-racist politics is challenging the racialised dynamics of news media reporting. This paper explores the experiences of Indigenous journalists working in mainstream news media organisations in Australia in this changing context, and their strategies to navigate the racial political economy and news values of the industry. While many have observed the growing number of Indigenous journalists working in mainstream news, Indigenous journalists’ experiences and practices in these contexts have rarely been canvassed. I analyse 11 in-depth interviews with practicing journalists in Australia to explore how they have their mediated their positions. I suggest that Indigenous journalists engage in a specifically Indigenous journalistic practice, informed by connections to place, community and culture. This can be understood as a contested practice of Indigenous sovereignty. It also highlights the racialised presumptions of news values, including notions of objectivity, authority and balance.

Assessing the Impact of Autonomous Media Organizations on Contemporary Society

Assessing the Impact of Autonomous Media Organizations on Contemporary Society

“It Became No Man’s Land”: The Burden of Moderating Online Harassment in Newswork

ABSTRACT Online harassment against media workers has been on the rise, prompting academic and international organizations to call for comprehensive measures that could protect journalists from intimidation and threats on social media platforms. Despite these efforts, research shows little success in curbing the issue of hostility towards media professionals. With this article, we aim to explore journalists’ perceptions regarding online harassment and the responsibility that they attribute to the media organizations they work for, as well as digital platforms for allowing violence to spread online. Our study is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in two Chilean newsrooms, including interviews with media professionals responsible for moderating hate. This article discusses the experiences of reporters who have faced online threats and attacks while reporting the news. Our findings show that digital platforms have provided new opportunities for violent behavior against journalists. More remarkably, some journalists are worried that their media organizations might prefer to benefit from the increased engagement and metrics that come with such aggressive actions. Our findings shed light on the challenges journalists face in the digital age and the need for more significant protection measures.

Digital News Audiences in Mexico: Age Segment Analysis

This study aims to determine whether news consumption, media trust, interest in news, and political affinity are correlated with the generational segment of the market, measured by the age of the digital audience. Furthermore, this study seeks to verify whether age is associated with digital audiences’ paying attention to journalists or news brands. This research is based on a survey of 2,005 people in Mexico by YouGov in 2022, commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford as part of its annual Digital News Report. The statistical method used was the chi-square test of independence between qualitative variables. The results showed that age correlates with consumption habits, media trust, interest in news, and citizens’ political affinity for digital audiences in Mexico. Moreover, age relates to whether digital audiences focus on journalists or news brands in Latin America. This study delves into the characteristics of digital audiences in Mexico and contributes from a media economics, media management, and media marketing perspective. It also helps media organizations assess their market strategy, market segmentation, and target markets based on the characteristics of digital news audiences in Mexico.

Impact of ‘brown envelope journalism’ on news coverage in Ghana

The study looked at how ‘Brown Envelope Journalism’ affects news coverage in Ghana. It also determined whether journalists in Ghana have the necessary ethics training to fend off the allure of brown envelopes and how the presence of brown envelope journalism impacts the public's confidence in Ghana's media. A questionnaire with 17 data-collection items was distributed randomly to 300 journalists in the Sunyani Municipality in Ghana’s Bono Region. The majority of journalists (i.e., 83%) said ‘Brown Envelope Journalism’ causes the underreporting of some important issues or the overemphasis of others, while 17% of them, the minority respondents, said ‘Brown Envelope Journalism’ does not cause the underreporting of important issues or the overemphasis of others. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among other things that to eradicate ‘Brown Envelope Journalism’ from Ghana's media landscape, Ghanaian media organizations should pay their journalists well.

„Sternicy mediów”. Opis projektu, kwestie metodologiczne

This article describes the “Media Helmsmen” research project, which primary goal was the analysis of the influence of leaders of media organizations on shaping the media market in Poland after 1989. The project began in 2013 during the “Humanistic Management” conference at Jagiellonian University, and was inspired by the idea presented by the late professor Barbara Czarniawska. Even though professor Czarniawska did not conduct her study in Sweden as it was planned, in Poland extensive research material was collected. It allowed the identification of key dilemmas in organizational management media organizations. The article presents the basic research assumptions of the project, including the main research questions: how is the leadership viewed in relation to media organizations? Who exactly is the media helmsman? What are its features? The authors point to the multi-paradigmatic nature of management sciences and emphasize the importance of both theoretical and practical aspects of research. The article includes a brief description of the research process, which is presented in detail in the monograph titled “Media Helmsmen”.

Ownership Interference and the Principle of Fairness in the Nigeria Broadcast Industry

This paper examines how ownership interference affects a fair, pluralistic and objective press in Nigeria especially the broadcast media. It exposes that the press must be balance and provide opportunity for all shades of opinions on every raging issue of national interest in line with the social responsibility theory of the press. It concludes that ownership interference whether government, institution or individuals is one pivotal issue that impedes the press from achieving the above objective and admonishes that they should be limited inferences from media owners on the activities of media organization. This work, therefore, highlights on how ownership interference impedes on achieving a fair, objective and reliable press in Nigeria, especially the broadcast media.

Guiding the way: a comprehensive examination of AI guidelines in global media

AbstractWith the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the news industry, media organizations have begun publishing guidelines that aim to promote the responsible, ethical, and unbiased implementation of AI-based technologies. These guidelines are expected to serve journalists and media workers by establishing best practices and a framework that helps them navigate ever-evolving AI tools. Drawing on institutional theory and digital inequality concepts, this study analyzes 37 AI guidelines for media purposes in 17 countries. Our analysis reveals key thematic areas, such as transparency, accountability, fairness, privacy, and the preservation of journalistic values. Results highlight shared principles and best practices that emerge from these guidelines, including the importance of human oversight, explainability of AI systems, disclosure of automated content, and protection of user data. However, the geographical distribution of these guidelines, highlighting the dominance of Western nations, particularly North America and Europe, can further ongoing concerns about power asymmetries in AI adoption and consequently isomorphism outside these regions. Our results may serve as a resource for news organizations, policymakers, and stakeholders looking to navigate the complex AI development toward creating a more inclusive and equitable digital future for the media industry worldwide.

Reconceptualising multilingualism on African radio: a multilingual accommodation theory

ABSTRACT Media organisations in radio broadcasting are gradually fine-tuning to accommodate multilingual socio-cultural identities. Africa presents unique challenges of lingual diversity which some of the media, particularly public radio have struggled to accommodate. This article advocates for multilingual accommodation on radio to foster more liberating and inclusive ways for multilingual speakers. It is a conceptual paper informed by the Afrikology perspective which we find more useful in tackling African issues from a more realistic perspective. Using radio as a medium of ethnic lingualism, we argue that Africans should tackle their own multilingualism issues. We chose radio because it is the most used medium of communication in Africa, reflective of grassroots social identities. We cite cases of multilingualism in Southern Africa to propose what we refer to as multilingual accommodation in radio broadcasting. The article argues that majority languages in Africa are not monolingualism but family languages of numerous dialects reflecting the co-existence of diverse ethnolinguistics in the pre-colonial era. We define multilingualism as abilities of co-existence in African contexts and the reflection of this co-existence in radio broadcasting. By multilingual accommodation, we suggest sustenance of multilingual programmes by radio hosts, guests and participants in both minoritised and majorised indigenous languages.

User Perceptions of News Recommender Systems and Trust in Media Outlets: A Five-Country Study

ABSTRACT The study investigates user perceptions of news media’s employment of news recommender systems (NRS) and their relation to trust in media outlets. A cross-sectional survey (n = 5079) in the United Kingdom, United States, Poland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland shows that higher algorithmic knowledge, users’ perceived skills, and news aggregator use correspond to increased perceptions that news media use NRS. Moreover, higher perceived NRS use of specific news outlets is associated with lower trust in those outlets but perceived benefits and concerns related to NRS moderate this relationship. Our findings highlight the need for media organizations to ensure a responsible and transparent use of such systems, highlight benefits for users, and address concerns to avoid misperceptions of their NRS use and maintain user trust.