How much journalism is in brand journalism? How brand journalists perceive their roles and blur the boundaries between journalism and strategic communication

Journalism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 146488492110298
Author(s):  
Thomas Koch ◽  
Benno Viererbl ◽  
Charlotte Schulz-Knappe
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Brand Image ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Professional Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Communication Tools ◽  
Role Conflicts ◽  
Work Routines ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Brand Journalism

An increasing number of companies and other organizations publish their own news media that resemble journalistic media in terms of content, language and design. The production and distribution of these publications are often referred to as brand journalism. However, although these publications look a lot like journalistic media, they are used as strategic communication tools: They represent and legitimize an organization’s interests and aim to improve brand image, build relations with customers or increase sales. Thus, brand journalism blurs the boundaries between journalism and strategic communication. The present study focuses on brand journalists and analyses their work routines, professional role perceptions and possible role conflicts. To this end, we conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with editors of corporate magazines. The interviewees described quite strong parallels to journalistic work routines and asserted their orientation toward journalistic norms (e.g. autonomy, unbiased reporting); however, these norms were regularly undermined when the topics covered centred on their own or their clients’ organizations. Most interviewees described large parts of their professional identity as journalistic, but were also aware that they were in a hybrid role between journalism and strategic communication. This hybrid role is associated with a range of expectations that can lead to role conflicts.

Writing for the audience or for public relations? How lifestyle editors perceive expectations about their professional role and manage potential for conflict

Journalism ◽  
2022 ◽  
pp. 146488492110675
Author(s):  
Benno Viererbl
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Role Conflict ◽  
Professional Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Role Conflicts ◽  
Boundary Area

Lifestyle journalists work in a boundary area between journalistic and commercial interests. They report journalistically on lifestyle topics such as travel, food, or fashion, while also incorporating promotional content and public relations concerns, either because reporting on lifestyle topics would otherwise not be possible or because their publications depend economically on commercial partners. These differing demands could lead to role conflicts for the editors of lifestyle magazines. This study investigates how lifestyle editors perceive expectations regarding their professional role and whether diverging expectations lead to role conflicts. To answer these questions, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with lifestyle editors from Germany. The results show that lifestyle editors aim primarily to entertain, spread positivity, and inspire their readers, while attempting to report independently and objectively. However, commercial expectations compromise these norms, leading to perceptions of role conflict.

Voice of the management or employee advocate? How editors of employee magazines see their professional role

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Koch ◽  
Jana Vogel ◽  
Nora Denner ◽  
Sarah Encarnacao
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Professional Role ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Role Conflicts ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Independent Information ◽  
The One ◽  
Positive Presentation

Purpose Editors of employee magazines work in a grey area between public relations and journalism. On the one hand, they need to accommodate the company management’s interest in a positive presentation; on the other, they must meet the employees’ need for objective and independent information. Although employee magazines reach millions of recipients every day, its editors have rarely been the focus of academic work. The purpose of this paper is to change this and scrutinise the way the editors view their professional role and the role conflicts to which they are subjected. Design/methodology/approach We conduct 15 qualitative semi-structured interviews with editors of employee magazines to analyse their professional role and possible conflicts in their work. Findings The editors’ self-concept varies significantly along two dimensions, which the authors use as the basis for distinguishing four types: the management ambassador, the employee representative, the mediator and the service provider. Originality/value The study sheds light on employee magazines, a medium between public relations and journalism that has not been analysed before. It helps to specify the role of these magazines and its editors’ between the expectations of the management and the employees.

scholarly journals Associations between News Media Coverage of the 11 September Attacks and Depression in Employees of New York City Area Businesses

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Betty Pfefferbaum ◽  
Jayme M. Palka ◽  
Carol S. North
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
News Media ◽  
York City ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mass Trauma ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
General Populations ◽  
Disaster Trauma

Research has examined the association between contact with media coverage of mass trauma events and various psychological outcomes, including depression. Disaster-related depression research is complicated by the relatively high prevalence of the major depressive disorder in general populations even without trauma exposure. The extant research is inconclusive regarding associations between disaster media contact and depression outcomes, in part, because most studies have not distinguished diagnostic and symptomatic outcomes, differentiated postdisaster incidence from prevalence, or considered disaster trauma exposures. This study examined these associations in a volunteer sample of 254 employees of New York City businesses after the 11 September 2001, terrorist attacks. Structured interviews and questionnaires were administered 35 months after the attacks. Poisson and logistic regression analyses revealed that post-9/11 news contact significantly predicted the number of postdisaster persistent/recurrent and incident depressive symptoms in the full sample and in the indirect and unexposed groups. The findings suggest that clinical and public health approaches should be particularly alert to potential adverse postdisaster depression outcomes related to media consumption in disaster trauma-unexposed or indirectly-exposed groups.

Willing but wary: Australian women experts’ attitudes to engaging with the news media

Journalism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 146488492110070
Author(s):  
Kathryn Shine
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Time Constraints ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Female Participation ◽  
News Content ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
The World ◽  
Almost All

Numerous quantitative studies from around the world have found that women are under-represented as sources in news content. This study aims to add to the existing quantitative research by describing female experts’ attitudes about being interviewed as news sources, and their experiences of interacting with journalists. It reports the findings of semi-structured interviews with 30 Australian female academic experts from a broad range of disciplines. Almost all of the women experts in the group were willing to be interviewed by a journalist, and reported that their experiences with the news media had generally been positive. However, they referred to various factors that may act as deterrents. These included a lack of confidence, a reluctance to appear on camera, time constraints and a lack of understanding about how the news media operates. This research provides valuable insights for journalists and editors, and outlines recommendations about how to encourage female participation in the news.

Building Employer Brand Image for accumulating Intellectual Capital

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Azam ◽  
Jawaid Ahmed Qureshi
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Brand Image ◽  
Positive Culture ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Career Progression ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Training Development ◽  
Employer Brand

The purpose of this research is to explore factors that build Employer Brand Image (EBI) for attracting and retaining intellectual capital comprising human capital too. The impression of an organization as an employer in the mind of current or prospect employees is called EBI. There are certain factors that shape the image of employer as a brand. Literature review suggested that researches, already done, have been carried out in Europe, Australia, and USA. The gap in literature is found that no study has been carried out to explore the social phenomenon of EBI in Pakistan; not even in South Asia. This is exploratory, qualitative, and phenomenological research. Purposive sampling is carried out using Sequential and Emergence-driven sampling technique whereas sampling method is snowballing. Total 14 semi structured interviews are taken from permanent faculty of private universities of Karachi. Numerous themes have been emerged, out of which six are categorized as core factors and the rest of them are sub-factors. Explored core factors include Organizational Culture and Environment, Package of Benefits, Training, Development and Career Progression, Market Value and Prestige, Recognition, and Location. Employers can build good EBI if they are establishing ideal working environment and positive culture, offering competitive package of benefits, providing training, development, and career progression opportunities, have good social recognition and prestige, recognizing employees’ work, and located in nearer, safer and securer area. EBI is important for employers because they can establish huge pool of applicants and social recognition as good employer, which helps picking the best talent that serves as intellectual capital.  

scholarly journals Mujeres empresarias en el uso de la web 2.0: discursos de un preludio / Entrepreneur Women in the Use of Web 2.0: Speeches of a Prelude

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mª del Rosario Rodríguez Díaz ◽  
Mª José González Río ◽  
Mª Ángeles Rebollo Catalán
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Redes Sociales ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
On Line

ABSTRACTThis paper presents the main results of an investigation whose purpose is to investigate the adoption of on-line social networks in SMEs run by women. The base assumption is that the use of networks as a strategic communication element is still at an early stage of development, far from being an established practice. Our interest in this study is to determine the willingness and motivations of entrepreneurs in using these networks, as well as utilities and difficulties they have faced. Our goal is to visualize the change of attitude and competences that entrepreneurs are imprinting on their businesses within the competitive environment they operate in. Ultimately, we are interested in studying the perception of women-entrepreneurs regarding the adoption of online social networks to the extent where they are, as an additional management tool. We find ourselves facing a new field of knowledge on which there are very few references and very little research has been carried. Hence, this study has a primarily qualitative and exploratory purpose. To obtain the needed information we held semi-structured interviews to fourteen Andalusian entrepreneurs, coming from different business fields. The main findings were that just less than a half of them used them, or implemented them in their companies, as communication tools. The others, depending on to the size of their business, adopted them as an extension of the personal use in which they had been started.RESUMENEste trabajo presenta los principales resultados de una investigación cuya finalidad es conocer la adopción de las redes sociales on-line en las pymes dirigidas por mujeres. Se parte de la base de que el uso de redes, como elemento estratégico de comunicación, se encuentra todavía en una fase incipiente de desarrollo, lejos aún de ser una práctica consolidada. Nuestro interés en este trabajo es conocer la predisposición y motivaciones de las empresarias hacia el uso estas redes, así como las utilidades y dificultades a las que han de enfrentarse. Nos interesa visibilizar el cambio actitudinal y competencial que las empresarias están imprimiendo en sus empresas dentro del marco competitivo en el que se encuentran. En definitiva, nos interesa estudiar la percepción que tienen las empresarias sobre el uso de las redes sociales online en la medida en que están insertas, como una herramienta más de gestión empresarial. Nos situamos ante un nuevo ámbito de conocimiento sobre el que apenas existen referencias bibliográficas ni se ha realizado apenas investigación; de ahí que la investigación tenga una finalidad fundamentalmente exploratoria y de carácter cualitativo. Para la obtención de la información se realizaron catorce entrevistas semi-estructuradas entre empresarias andaluzas de distintos sectores de actividad. Entre los principales resultados encontramos que algo menos de la mitad de ellas las utilizan, o están implantadas en sus empresas, como herramientas de comunicación. El resto, y relacionado con el tamaño de sus negocios, las utilizan como una prolongación del uso personal en el que se iniciaron.

scholarly journals Consumer-Athlete Brand Relationship: A Qualitative Exploration of Sport Fans’ Experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Olzhas Taniyev ◽  
Brian S. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Brand Management ◽  
Brand Image ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sport Fans ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Qualitative Exploration ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
City Identity

Athlete marketing can have profound effects on sport fans. While the affinity for superstar athletes is clear, the internalization of brand image associated with high-profile athletes has received little scholarly attention. The central aim of this exploratory study was to understand sport consumers’ perceptions of the athlete brand and its influence on their self-concept. Seventeen purposefully selected members of an athlete-centered fan club took part in semi-structured interviews. The interview data revealed the following prevalent themes: athlete brand adoption, athlete brand devotion, city identity, and community engagement. Based on the findings, meaningful interactions with consumers and altruistic actions fostered the relationship between the athlete and his followers. The present study contributed to the research concerning the emotional bond sport consumers have with athletes and evolving literature on athlete brand management.

Calm the farm or incite a riot? Animal activists and the news media: A public relations case study in agenda-setting and framing

2021 ◽  
pp. 2046147X2110551
Author(s):  
Deborah K Williams ◽  
Catherine J Archer ◽  
Lauren O’Mahony
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
News Media ◽  
Direct Action ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Front Page ◽  
Primary Producers ◽  
News Reporting ◽  
Study Approach

The ideological differences between animal activists and primary producers are long-standing, existing long before the advent of social media with its widespread communicative capabilities. Primary producers have continued to rely on traditional media channels to promote their products. In contrast, animal activists have increasingly adopted livestreaming on social media platforms and ‘direct action’ protest tactics to garner widespread public and media attention while promoting vegetarianism/veganism, highlighting issues in animal agriculture and disrupting the notion of the ‘happy farm animal’. This paper uses a case study approach to discuss the events that unfolded when direct action animal activists came into conflict with Western Australian farmers and businesses in 2019. The conflict resulted in increased news reporting, front-page coverage from mainstream press, arrests and parliamentary law changes. This case study explores how the activists’ strategic communication activities, which included livestreaming their direct actions and other social media tactics, were portrayed by one major Australian media outlet and the farmers’ interest groups’ reactions to them.

News Production and Distribution in the United States: Private Industry and Government Contributions

2021 ◽  
pp. 36-57
Author(s):  
Martha Minow
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Federal Government ◽  
First Amendment ◽  
News Media ◽  
The United States ◽  
Private Industry ◽  
News Production ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
News Industry ◽  
Government Involvement

Chapter 2 anticipates objections to government involvement in news media by tracing the long-standing historical involvement of the federal government in enabling and shaping the development of the modern news media. Although private sector companies and investments have played a central role in the development of media news, for most of American history governmental involvement has been integral to the structure, financing, and effectiveness of the news industry while advancing free expression of ideas. The historic governmental actions shaping the news industry contradict the libertarian conception of the First Amendment that has grown in influence during the past several decades, a conception putting into jeopardy government actions to address the failing news industry.

scholarly journals In/visible conflicts: NGOs and the visual politics of humanitarian photography

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 1178-1193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Dencik ◽  
Stuart Allan
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Red Cross ◽  
Digital Imagery ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Visual Politics ◽  
Visual Boundaries ◽  
Save The Children ◽  
Visual Coverage

This article examines the diverse factors shaping the involvement of non-governmental organisation (NGO) with humanitarian photography, paying particular attention to co-operative relationships with photojournalists intended to facilitate the generation of visual coverage of crises otherwise marginalised, or ignored altogether, in mainstream news media. The analysis is primarily based on a case study drawing upon 26 semi-structured interviews with NGO personnel (International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, Oxfam and Save the Children) and photojournalists conducted over 2014–2016, securing original insights into the epistemic terms upon which NGOs have sought to produce, frame and distribute imagery from recurrently disregarded crisis zones. In this way, the article pinpoints how the uses of digital imagery being negotiated by NGOs elucidate the changing, stratified geopolitics of visibility demarcating the visual boundaries of newsworthiness.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document