Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies - Volume 3, Issue 1, 2014

The Journal of Applied Journalism and Media Studies is a scholarly publication that seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice in media and journalism research. This editorial emphasizes the need to develop a praxis-oriented approach to deal with the questions we face during our ethnographic encounters with those we research; it sheds light on the new editorial arrangements introduced at the start of 2014; it discusses the issue of how to relate theory to practice; it examines why the gap between those who practise and those who theorize is still so wide; it touches on the type of learning most appropriate for media and journalism research; and it ends with a conclusion about the type of research the journal wants to promote in order to accomplish its praxis-oriented mission.

The Indonesian media seems to confirm the endless suffering of Indonesian migrant workers (IMWs). In June 2011, Ruyati Binti Satubi’s execution in Saudi Arabia was put in the spotlight by widespread national media coverage. The government seemed to ignore the problem, but it is more striking as to how the execution was also ignored by high-ranking female officials. Study of women’s voices and gender bias in the news coverage is important since most victims are female migrant workers (FMW). It focuses on how Ruyati’s execution was framed in three national newspapers. Interviews were conducted with a journalist, a female migrant worker, a media observer, a political observer and a feminist blogger. This study concludes that: Fewer female voices are represented by the media; IMWs are powerless; Indonesia’s foreign diplomacy and internal bureaucracy are weak; and female politicians’ awareness of migrant workers’ problems was an individual position rather than a gender movement.

The recent ‘Arab Spring’ protests have been widely discussed in the media as an example of a shift in the dissemination of news and information during a crisis. Apart from the youth-driven resistance played out on the streets, the ‘Arab Spring’ movement is also noteworthy for the millions of texts, images and videos that were transmitted through social media networks and indirectly disseminated on mainstream news networks. While social media has played an increasingly crucial role as a source of information for journalists during times of crisis, concerns have been raised about the veracity of information and the effort needed to extract the best content in real time. To overcome this problem, ex-journalist Burt Herman created the online platform Storify as a pioneering media content curation service. Media content curation knits technological and human skill in selecting, classifying, preserving, contextualizing and crafting traditional media sources and social media content into one coherent narrative. This article examines the changes to traditional modes of journalistic practice engendered by the use of Storify and other social media tools for reportage in times of crisis. The research utilizes a content analysis of Storify ‘stories’ written by media professionals about the ‘Arab Spring’ and seven interviews with media professionals who have used Storify to report during the ‘Arab Spring’. Journalists have responded positively to Storify because of the diversity of sources, accessibility, new story presentation possibilities and the ability to quickly search and select sources using a transparent process. However, our analysis found that some of the limitations of Storify are technical, specifically in terms of design and software.

In this article, Åke Pettersson writes about Sweden’s only media programme that continued broadcasting without interruption for more than three decades. Called Vår grundade mening for the most part of its life, it ran into some problems in 2007 and came close to shutdown before re-emerging under the name of Publicerat, the appellation Pettersson prefers when talking about his programme. Since its inception in 1981 up to its demise in 2013, the radio programme has worked as ‘watchdog’ of the media scene in Sweden. Pettersson won several awards for his observations and discussions of media-related issues in Sweden and beyond. A close examination of the about 1500 episodes that he produced, edited and presented can tell volumes about the history of the Swedish media for over three decades. He starts with a few words about his own programme and then moves to the reaction and responses he has received from both public and private media outlets in Sweden. The article dwells on both positive and negative sides that emanate from a radio programme with a critical angle of the media. He touches upon the collaboration he has had as a practitioner with academia, namely, media journalism scholars. The article, although centring on the Swedish media scene, can have a lot of bearing on how the media may get involved in self-criticism to improve conditions and increase public awareness of media-related issues.

There is a tremendous fascination with crime in Ireland. The public appetite is insatiable. However, crime reporters face numerous barriers in their quest to disclose information. The sub judice rule must be adhered to, various reporting restrictions must also be taken into consideration, while sources must be handled sensitively. Care must be taken when reporting on jury trials in order to ensure that commentary does not impact on a jury’s decision. Crime reporters regularly encounter difficulties in their efforts to access information. In my article, I will write about the various reporting restrictions that apply when it comes to crime reporting in Ireland. I will bring in references to some of my own experiences of reporting in this area and I will make recommendations on changes that could be made in this area.

Against the theoretical background of media transformation and social change, this study delivers empirical evidence to support a recent theoretical call for ‘scaling’ and ‘rescaling’ media in China. A case study is used to illustrate how news institutions from different geographical locations within China differ in their news construction. News coverage of two health incidences sampled from six Chinese newspapers are analysed and compared. Two sets of hypotheses are tested. The study concludes that only by considering both the degree of commercialization and the geographical differences can we exhibit a relatively precise measurement of the everyday journalistic practice and its products.

This article shows results from the project ‘Citizens’ agenda: Journalism and civic participation in Portuguese media’, involving research on a sample of regional newspapers geographically distributed throughout the country. Through content analysis of sources, topics and framing, we sketch the general picture painted by the regional press. Drawing on enquiries to journalists and directors we also aim to understand which professional practices and values are prominent in regional press, paying special attention to questions linking journalism to democratic systems. Results indicate that recent trends of professionalization and commercialization prompted Portuguese local press towards the liberal model, which means growing autonomy from the state and politics, but also includes disengagement from civic pursuits of “general interest”.