This dissertation explores the news making process at CCTV-9, the Beijing-based global English language service of China Central Television (CCTV). My interest in this topic was triggered by the strange manner in which so much debate about media reform in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) elides any real discussion of the contribution of journalists themselves to reform, which is almost invariably treated as something that happens to media from outside of, or regardless of, what journalists do. My aim in this research was to address this lapsus and foreground the work of journalists to show how it contributes to the changing institutional framework in which their work is embedded and therefore contributes to media reform. Drawing on ground-breaking work on bounded innovation and resistance by Pan Zhongdang and Lu Ye in this emerging field, I utilize concepts derived from their use of Michel de Certeau and discuss these concepts in light of the works of Antonio Gramsci, Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault to show how journalists at CCTV-9 exercised control over their work, despite their function as mouthpieces of the news and publicity system operated by the Communist Party of China and PRC government. I am not suggesting that PRC journalists are dissidents. However, my research did suggest that the mundane practice of journalism, even in so constrained a media environment as that of the PRC news system, can alter the manner in which news is made and thereby contribute to media reform. Utilizing participant observation of the CCTV-9 newsroom in 2004-2005, interviews with a range of news makers, in-house documents and a survey of content, I construct a picture of news making at CCTV-9 that foregrounds what to more macro-oriented analyses of media reform in the PRC has remained inaccessible, the minutiae of everyday life in the newsroom, and the tiny, but not inconsequential changes brought about by the ordinary work of journalists. / text

Näthatet uppmärksammas idag som ett växande problem. Internets utbredning har gett upphov till att hat och hot yttras mer obegränsat. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att utforska kvinnliga journalisters utsatthet av näthat samt bidra med kunskap om behovet av potentiellt stöd. Deltagarna var tio väletablerade frilansande samt redaktionsanställda kvinnliga journalister. Datainsamlingen gjordes med fokuserade kvalitativa intervjuer. Tematisk analys användes som metod för dataanalys. Resultatet visade på näthat som ett djupt etablerat mångfacetterat fenomen. Utsattheten för näthat ansågs bidra bl.a. till stress, rädsla och påverkan på det allmänna välbefinnandet. Utsattheten kunde hanteras genom olika copingstrategier samt praktiska åtgärder. Journalisterna i studien visade på en djuplodande medvetenhet om hatfenomenet och vilja att förmedla sin kunskap om näthatet och dess konsekvenser. Vidare framhölls ett behov av stöd och ansvarstagande från arbetsgivare och rättsväsende. Resultatet i föreliggande studie är i linje med befintlig forskning om hat och hot på nätet. / Internet hate is today highlighted as a growing issue. The expansion of internet hate has given rise to a more unrestricted expression of hate and threats. The present study aimed to explore female journalists’ exposure of internet hate and to contribute with knowledge regarding the need of potential support. The participators consisted of ten well established freelance and editorial female journalists. The data was collected with focused qualitative interviews. Thematic analysis was used as method for the data analysis. The result showed internet hate as a deep established multifaceted phenomenon. The exposure of internet hate was among other things considered contribute to stress and fear, and to have an impact on the general well-being. The exposure could be handled with the use of various coping strategies and practical measures. The journalists in the present study showed a profound awareness regarding the phenomena of hate and willingness to mediate their knowledge about internet hate and its consequences. Furthermore, a need of support and responsibility from employers and the judicial system was emphasized. The result in the present study is in line with existing research about hate and threats online.

In this study we have investigated how local journalists in Kalmar think when they choose their sources to interview. We have also studied several factors that can affect their choices of sources. We have interviewed eight news journalists from the two largest local news papers Barometern and Östran in Kalmar. The journalists were asked about the sources they often use as interview objects. They were supposed to tell about how they think when choosing sources and define which sources they commonly use. There are different factors that can affect the choices and we have narrowed them down to ethics, source critics, credibility, stress, hard production conditions, public and their own interest and if they consider themselves to be individualistic or controlled by the news desks. Furthermore the journalists were asked to characterize what changes they would make when choosing sources in a perfect world. All of the journalists had not reflected prominently on the subject of sources before our research. But most of them could perceive different views. Hence the study became essential for them as well as us. We found various perspectives very interesting. For instance the interviews showed that the journalists frequently use the same sources on account of the limitation of time and number of sources in Kalmar. There is a lack of using intimidating sources which opinions the journalists do not agree with. The personal network of sources is crucial to the reporter in finding important information and relevant interview objects. The reporters in our research are more individualistic than controlled by the news desks. However the news bosses may affect their choices of sources by telling them which sources are credible and worthy to fit in the news papers. Sometimes they even arrange interviews with sources. The journalists seek within themselves to find out what the readers may be interested in. But captivatingly they cannot know for sure what the public will appreciate to read.

A study was conducted to determine what attitudes Indiana religion editors and reporters hold toward religion news and what attitude patterns exist among them.Using Q Methodology, this study explored the attitudes of religion reporters and editors at 22 Indiana daily newspapers. Newspapers included in the study had a religion reporter or editor who covered local religion news.The concourse for the study was developed by using statements from Ranly's 1977 study and from articles from trade and scholarly journals. The Q-sample included a total of 54 statements related to personal religious beliefs, the state of religion news and working as a journalist.The subjects completed a questionnaire, which included questions about their professional and religious background, and interviews were conducted with the subjects.The typical Indiana religion reporter was: a Caucasian female who had worked as a journalist for less than 10 years, who had held the position of religion reporter for less than five years, who held a bachelor's degree in journalism or English, and who had at least one college religion course. She had exposure to religion while growing up, is now involved in religious activities, and attends church weekly.QMETHOD software was used to tabulate the Q-sorts, and the investigator determined that two factors could be drawn out from the results. Hypothetical reporter types were labeled as "moderate" and "traditional." There was a high correlation between the two factors. Moderates were more news-oriented in their approach. They believe that religion news should be covered like any other news topic. Traditionalists were more faith-oriented. They believe that their faith and their jobs are not conflicting. / Department of Journalism

This study presents an overview of how community managers, a title encompassing all moderators of online discussion, handle their position in the discussion areas of a news website, whether that is embedded comments connected to stories or on message boards. The primary evidence, gathered through a structured interview, suggests that community managers are spending the majority of their time dealing with spam, off-topic comments, and harmful comments, typically either inappropriate language or personal attacks on other users. The prevalence of community managers as a position was found through the use of a survey to high-ranking members of newspapers across the United States. The survey showed that while most news organizations have sections that allow users to have their voice be heard, many of the sections are not being moderated for content. Many times, comments sections can turn inappropriate if left unchecked. The thesis contains some suggestions that community moderators should consider as they look to develop the most effective, open, and welcoming forum for user-generated content. / Department of Journalism

Att svenska medier hotas blir allt vanligare. Denna undersökning syftar till att diskutera omfattningen av hot mot journalister och beskriva hotens karaktär genom att lyssna till journalisternas egna erfarenheter. Undersökningen är kvalitativ och bygger på semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex verksamma journalister, varav tre har redaktionellt ansvar. Vi har besökt ett antal redaktioner som har erfarenhet av hot och vänt oss till vissa nyckelpersoner. Utifrån syftet har vi formulerat följande frågeställningar: Vilka uttryck tar sig hoten mot lokaltidningsredaktioner och enskilda medarbetare? Finns det en handlingsplan på redaktionerna när medarbetare hotas? Hur ser den i så fall ut? Vad anser de enskilda journalisterna att hot får för konsekvenser för det journalistiska arbetssättet och – i förlängningen – även demokratin? Vår forskningsfråga blir således: om, och i så fall varför, journalister på lokaltidningar uppfattar att olika typ av direkta hot mot dem ökat och vilka konsekvenser journalisterna anser att detta kan ha för deras yrkesutövning. Resultatet av studien visar att alla respondenter har fått hot och trakasserier riktade mot sig och/eller redaktionen. Samtliga upplever att hoten mot journalister har ökat de senaste åren och att hoten i dag tar sig andra uttryck. Till exempel har det blivit vanligare att representanter från den organiserade brottsligheten försöker påverka vad som publiceras och inte. På alla redaktioner vi besökt finns handlingsplaner och riktlinjer för hur man ska gå till väga när en journalist eller redaktion utsätts för hot. Samtliga lokaltidningsredaktioner har också varit tvungna att ta till säkerhetsåtgärder som en direkt konsekvens av att de upplever en ökad hotbild. Majoriteten av respondenterna berättar om hur man i ett tidigt skede har ändrat i artiklar på grund av rädsla för att utsättas för hot.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2005. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 484-511). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 2, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Washington State University, 1988. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 170-198). Also issued in print.

Thesis (M.A. (Journalism & Media Studies)) - Rhodes University, 2008. / A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.