A culture of audience engagement in the news industry

Abstract

This research examines the concept of audience engagement in journalism, and the changing nature of the relationship between journalists and their audiences. It uses the theoretical framework of newsroom sociology and organizational culture to explore how journalists are incorporating new audience-focused values into their work. The researcher employed in-depth interviews with 29 journalists, a case study of one newsroom undergoing bold experiments, and a national survey of daily newspaper editors to attain a broad look at how journalists in different situations are finding ways to get audiences more involved in their journalism. The research identified three major categories of audience engagement: community outreach, conversation and collaboration. This study will expand our understanding of an emerging culture in newsrooms.