Portuguese news organisations and online audience participation: Policies and self-perceptions

Marisa Torres da SilvaNew University of Lisbon, Portugal (FCSH/UNL)

JSS-ECREA 2014

Thessaloniki, 28 March 2014

News organisations and audience participation

O News organisations are interpreting online audience participation mainly as an opportunity for their readers to discuss current events

O Audience participation is seen as “a problem to manage rather than a benefit for the news product” (Domingo, 2008), due to the fact that the integration of user-generated content (USG) is difficult to combine with the organizational structure of newsrooms (Rebillard & Touboul, 2010).

Readers’ comments in news

O The most widespread and popular genre of audience participation in online news sites (Ruiz et al., 2011; Weber, 2013), allowing the public to express perspectives on current issues (Henrich & Holmes, 2013; Chung, 2008)

O Journalists recognize their potential to fulfill deliberative ideals (Reich, 2011), as a desirable contribution to journalism and to a healthy democratization of discourse (Olsson & Viscovi, 2013; Singer & Ashman, 2009)

Readers’ comments in news

O Challenges to journalists and newsrooms: quality concerns related to the presence of inappropriate speech (Reich, 2011; Erjavec & Kovacic, 2013; Olsson & Viscovi, 2013); the anonymity of the online users (Singer & Ashman, 2009; Nielsen, 2013); resources and costs required in the management of contributions (Nyirõ et al., 2011).

Aim and scope of the study

O Practices, perceptions, expectations and policies of Portuguese newsroom workers on user contributions management strategies and relationship with the audience – particular focus on readers’ comments as a form of participatory journalism

O Work in progress – In-depth face-to-face interviews have so far been conducted with 8 professionals(online/multimedia editors, community manager, former online editor, editors-in-chief and assistant editors-in-chief)

O 2 daily newspapers (Público and Correio da Manhã), 1 weekly newspaper (Expresso), and 1 newsmagazine (Sábado).

News organisations and forms of participatory journalism

O Examined Portuguese news outlets frame audience participation primarily as its ability to engage in a debate on current events – limited to interpretation and distribution stages (cf. Domingo et al., 2008) – no options in access, selection and editing stages

Readers’ comments in news: expectations, perceptions and challenges

O Functions and identified user roles

O User comments as an opportunity to “increase opinion pluralism” or to “add value in debates about matters of public concern”

O All the interviewees mentioned the correction of factual errors or mistakes; 5 referred the possibility of interaction between journalists and readers or the ability of providing news tips (but in a sporadic basis)

Readers’ comments in news: expectations, perceptions and challenges

O Journalists and audiences: a tensional relationship

O Most of the inquired professionals pointed out several negative attributes to readers’ comments: disjoint between news workers’ normative visions of the readers’ comments and the low appreciation of users’ contributions (Wahl-Jorgensen, 2007; Silva, 2009; Olsson & Viscovi, 2013)

O The greatest challenge posed by users’ comments stemmed from their low quality – the majority of comments “do not add value”, are “not interesting”, are mere “idle talk” or “unproductive”, are “self-interested” or “lack concrete ideas”

Readers’ comments in news: expectations, perceptions and challenges

O Journalists and audiences: a tensional relationship

O Other problems and concerns: inappropriate speech or incivility, namely “impulsive”, “unfair”, or even “horrible” and “shocking” comments –anonymity of online user given as the main explanation

Readers’ comments in news: expectations, perceptions and challenges

O Economic value of users contributions

O The notion of participation can function as a “marketing tool” for any news organisation (Nyrõ, 2011)

O Most of the inquired journalists admitted that the quantity of users’ comments may increase visits and traffic figures, making the website attractive to advertisers; but the quality of readers’ comments and the work on the “reader community” was also referred as having an unequivocal effect in the brand and user loyalty.

Policies and management strategies

O The decision on how to moderate readers’ comments is highly problematic to news organisations (Trygg, 2012) – absence of a common core strategy.

O Correio da Manhã – pre-moderation; Sábado –post-moderation; Público and Expresso – crowd-based moderation

Policies and management strategies –why?

O Post-moderation: priority given to freedom of expression of users; also spares human resources and costs for news organizations

O Pre-moderation: priority given to the protection of the brand from offensive or abusive comments

O Crowd-based moderation and end of anonymity: the current model of Público after a series of changes.

Final remarks

O The views that journalists hold about themselves and their audiences are formed by several factors and their professional identity must be constructed in the context of a fluid work environment. Today’s news media are evolving rapidly and corporate interests, available technologies, legal limitations and other aspects vary somewhat within particular national contexts (Heinonen, 2011)