Journalists are increasingly expected to be active on social media to enhance their reporting and personal brands. They must blend personal and professional content and navigate the distinct logic of social media while also balancing the expectations of the media organizations. The purpose of this study is to investigate Swedish journalists’ perspective on personal branding on social media in relation to journalistic values, by answering the following questions: How do journalists perceive the relationship between personal branding on social media and journalistic norms, ideals and practices? What attitudes are evident in the journalists’ perception of personal branding on social media? How do journalists perceive the integration of journalistic norms, ideals and practices in the use of social media? Do they perceive any kind of conflicts between personal branding on social media and journalistic norms, ideals and practices? The study adopts a qualitative method, using eight semi-structured interviews to collect the empirical material. It was analyzed through a thematic analysis together with the theoretical framework consisting of journalistic ideology, boundary work, branding strategy and personal branding. According to the findings, Swedish journalists have mixed feelings about personal branding on social media. While a strong personal brand benefits both individual journalists and their journalistic mission, social media poses numerous challenges, requiring them to balance their personal and professional identities responsibly. The journalists recognize that while traditional journalistic ideals can be integrated into social media use and the strategies of personal branding, they require adaptation to social media's logic. Maintaining the boundaries of legitimate journalism is challenging in the evolving media landscape, despite journalists' desire to adhere to professional standards. The findings reveal how this new practice affects journalism, influencing both individual careers and the broader industry.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-531925 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Kapell, Tilda, Lind, Victoria |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för informatik och media |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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