Toward the Media Convergence ( A Descriptive Study about Kompas Efforts to be Media Convergence)
-
Upload
cindy-silviana -
Category
Documents
-
view
182 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Toward the Media Convergence ( A Descriptive Study about Kompas Efforts to be Media Convergence)
TOWARD THE MEDIA CONVERGENCE (Descriptive study: Efforts of Kompas Newsroom in
The Challenges of Emerging Technology)
THESIS
Presented by :
Name : Cindy Silviana Sukma Student ID : 02404022009 Concentration : Journalism and Media Studies
In Partial Fulfillment of of the Requirement for The Magister of Communication Art Degree
MASTER OF ARTS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
The Postgraduate Programme of Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Komunikasi
The London School of Public Relations – Jakarta
JAKARTA OCTOBER, 2011
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thanks to God who always accompany the journey of my life, especially when
he guided and blessed me in this thesis work, from beginning to end this thesis
completed.
This thesis has been prepared by one of the main goals is to complete the
final task in an attempt to obtain a Master's degree in Communication Sciences
STIKOM LSPR-Jakarta. Furthermore this thesis also aims to understand and
analyze the level of convergence implementation on Indonesian media, especially
Kompas, as the news company. The Research is conducted on the Kompas
newsroom and print journalists, the work flow and newsroom structure when Kompas
is going toward the convergence.
The author realizes that this thesis can be solved not solely due to the efforts
of the writer himself, but also thanks to the help, advice and guidance from various
parties who contributed either directly or indirectly involved in the writing of this
thesis.
Therefore, on this occasion the author would like to express the gratitude to:
1. Ms Prita Kemal Gani, MBA, MCIPR, APR (UK) as Director of LSPR-Jakarta
STIKOM. Thanks for the encouragement and motivation has been given so
far.
2. Ms. Giselle S Buot, as the dean of Post graduate Programmes. Thanks for the
help and guidance that has been given.
3. Mr Tunggul Pannindriya as the supervisor of this thesis writing. Thank you for
your guidance, encouragement, assistance and patience during the process
of developing this thesis.
4. Mr. Taufik H. Mihardja as a Deputy of Chief Editor Kompas, Content Director
General Manager of Kompas.com, Mr. Edi Taslim as the Business General
Manager of Kompas.com and Kompas, Mr. Budiman Tanuredjo as the
Managing Editor of Kompas, editors, and other journalists in print and
Kompas.com, who have spent their time in providing the information about
Kompas strategy and newsroom, which are very useful for the primary data in
the research.
5. Families who may not know much about the process of making this thesis, but
always give moral support and material to the author.
6. To the journalism and media class mates, which not only gives moral support
but also provide assistance in the form of information that contribute to the
completion of this thesis.
7. The whole family, colleagues, and others that cannot be enumerated that
have helped and supported the authors during their lectures and writing this
thesis.
Presumably the results of this study can provide the mutual understanding for
scholars and media practitioners in implementing the convergence inside the
newsroom of Kompas.
Jakarta, August 12th 2011
Cindy Silviana Sukma
ABSTRACT
GRADUATE SCHOOLS OF COMMUNICATION THE LONDON SCHOOL OF PUBLIC RELATIONS- JAKARTA
MASTER OF ARTS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME
Name : Cindy Silviana Sukma NIM : 02404022009 Thesis Title : Toward The Media Convergence
(DescriptiveStudy: Efforts of Kompas Newsroom in The Challenges of Emerging Technology).
Total pages : 5 chapters, 94 pages, 3 images, 13 figures, 2 tables, 2 apendix
References : 16 books, 7 journals, 3 Note of Seminar, 1 Dissertation, 2 magazines, 13 websites, .
This study is concerning on the convergence implementation in the Kompas newsroom, as the dealing of the future of newspapers, technology changes, consumers behaviors in reading news and information, and the presence of new audiences who aware with the technology savvy. Whether some international media organizations have done the convergence, a media and newsroom convergence, has not been implemented yet among the media industries in Indonesia.
The researcher choose descriptive-qualitative method to conduct the research. The research use triangulation method which consist of document review, in depth-interview, observation as the information source. Document review based on some literature reviews, such as communication journals, dissertation, online presentation which explained the convergence method in some newsrooms organizations. To understand the structure and work flow in Kompas newsroom, in-depth interview was set up for primary data. The interview was addressed to Kompas management, some print journalists, and editors in Kompas.com. Moreover, the observation was also conducted to analyze the condition deeper.
The objective of the study is aimed to analyze the implementation of convergence model in the media organization, focused on Kompas newsroom. Moreover, media convergence has not been implemented yet in any media in Indonesia. Therefore, Kompas might be the pioneer to change the media organization by doing convergence.
To analyze the structure and changes of Kompas newsroom and work flow, the conceptual framework provides three theories, which adjust to the research. They are Difussion of Innovations Theory, Change Management Theory, and Adaptative Structuration Theory. Each theory describes step by step Kompas’s position in reaching the newsroom convergence.
From the research analysis, the finding is obtained that Kompas as the news company is on the progress of cross-media platforms, or in the level newsroom 2.0., which collaboration and integration has been occured between the media platforms, to gather and define the news contents for each platforms. However, Kompas has not restructure the newsroom as a full newsroom convergence, which could integrate the high level of convergence.
The print journalists also required to do multi-tasked. Besides writing
for print, they have to contribute for online and make news video, as the compulsory of their assessment in the Key Performance Indicator.
To do the changes and restructure of newsroom and the work flow
process, the management admits that they find some constraints in doing the convergence. However, Kompas continuely make some efforts, so that Kompas would reach the full convergence, as the way to maintain the brand as a news company in diversity of audiences.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
RESEARCH ORIGINALITY STATEMENT
CURRICULUM VITAE
ABSTRACT i
TABLE OF CONTENT iii
TABLE OF PICTURES CONTENT viii
TABLE OF FIGURES CONTENT ix
TABLE OF TABLES CONTENT x
CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. Background of The Study 1
Consumers as The Controller 3
1.2. Problem Statement 14
1.3. Study Objectives 14
1.4. Siginificance of Study 15
iv
1.5. Scope and Limitation 16
CHAPTER II – THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 17
2.1. Theoretical Framework 17
2.1.1. Diffusion of Innovations 17
2.1.2. Change Management 21
2.1.3. Adaptative Structuration Theory 23
2.2. Conceptual Framework 25
2.3. Operational Framework 28
2.4. The Convergence Continuum Model 30
2.5. Definition of Term 33
2.5.1. Media Convergence 33
2.5.2. Newsroom 37
2.5.3. Components of Newsroom 38
2.5.4. Types of Newsroom 39
2.5.5. Smart Newsroom 42
2.5.6. Knowledge Management 43
v
CHAPTER III – RESEARCH DESIGN & METHOD 44
3.1. Research Design and Method 44
3.2. Data Generation Procedure 47
3.2.1. Document Review 47
3.2.2. In-Depth Interview 48
3.2.3. Observation 49
3.3. Data Generation Schedule 51
3.4. Data Analysis Procedure 51
3.4.1. Transcribes 51
3.4.2. Read the Transcribes 52
3.4.3. Categorization 52
CHAPTER IV – RESEARCH ANALYSIS 53
4.1. Company Profile 53
4.1.1. History of Kompas 53
4.1.2. Kompas Goes Digital 55
vi
4.2. Convergence Implementation Among Indonesian Media 57
4.2.1. Technological Convergence 61
4.2.2. Media Convergence 62
4.3. Introducing “Three M” Toward The Media Convergence 62
4.3.1. Multimedia 63
4.3.2. Multichannel 63
4.3.3. Multi paltform 63
4.4. The Role of Newsroom Convergence 66
4.4.1. Toward The Newsroom Convergence 68
4.4.2. The Components of Newsroom 72
4.4.3. Planning on The Future Convergence 75
4.5. Measuring The Convergence Model 76
4.5.1. Convergence Continuum Model 76
4.5.2. Boundaries Convergence Level 78
4.6. Observing The Journalists’ Attitudes & Mindset in The
Convergence Implementation 83
4.7. The effect of Management Changes on News Coverage 86
4.8. Constructing the Knowledge Management in the Newsroom 89
vii
4.9. The Agent of Change Among Journalists 90
4.10. Featuring Kompas as A News Brand 92
4.11. Theoretical Analysis 93
CHAPTER V – CONCLUSIONS AND RECCOMENDATIONS 98
5.1. Conclusions 98
5.2. Suggestions 100
5.2.1. Academic Suggestions 101
5.2.2. Practical Suggestions 101
viii
TABLE OF PICTURES CONTENT
Picture 1.1. Media Convergence Process 10
Picture 4.1. Kompas in Multiplatforms 64
Picture 4.2. Newsroom Convergence Model in Zurich 67
Picture 4.3. Kompas performs in the same content 70
ix
TABLE OF FIGURE CONTENT
Figure 2.1. Change Management Focus on Convergence 22
Figure 2.2. Conceptual Framework 23
Figure 2.3. Convergence Continuum Model 32
Figure 2.4. Pit Gottschalk’s Components of Organizational Allignment 49
Figure 2.5. Pit Gottschalk’s Types of Newsroom 49
Figure 2.6. Newroom 1.0 40
Figure 2.7. Newsroom 2.0 40
Figure 2.8. Newsroom 3.0 41
Figure 4.1. Kompas 3M Logo 63
Figure 4.2. Three Types of Newsroom 69
Figure 4.3. The Work Flow in the Print Newsroom 71
Figure 4.4. The Structure of Newsroom in Kompas 72
Figure 4.5. Convergence Continuum Model 77
Figure 4.6. Kompas Position From The Conceptual Framework 82& 96
x
TABLE OF TABLES CONTENT
Table 2.2. Operational Framework 28
Table 4.1. The Trends of Media Industry 65
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of The Study
Siang malam ku selalu menatap layar terpaku untuk online online Jari dan keyboard beradu, pasang earphone dengar lagu Aku online online on line online.
(Online – Saykoji)
(Every day and night, I always stare at the screen for online online. Fingers and keyboard clashing, pairs of earphones to hear the song. I’m online online online online)
This song which is popular by Saykoji, might describe the overview of
our activities today, especially for youth who live in big cities. A common
scene is seen in the bus, where people use their mobile / smart phones to
listen songs or radio in their iPod / phones, browse the internet, update the
status on facebook / twitter, or read news or information from news
applications. The interests of urban to newspapers are less than decade ago,
since the euphoria of 3G- third generation mobile telecommunications is
available in many mobile phones.
“Newspapers is used to set the news agenda for the rest of the media
agenda” (‘Who Killed the Newspapers?’, The Economists, 2006). However,
the circulation has decreased since the web is raised and the internet users
2
are expanded. Many newsprint organizations in west countries have to be
closed and bankruptcy, such as Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Tribune,
Los Angeles Time, The Rocky Mountain News, etc. Moreover, the book
writer of “The Vanishing Newspaper”, Philip Meyer calculates that newsprint
in America will die in the first quarter 0f 2043 (‘Killed the Newspapers’, 2006).
Although the condition of newsprint business in Indonesia is not
certainly calculated, but the growth of internet users are very significant.
According to Communication and Informatica Department (Depkominfo), “45
million people in Indonesia have used internet, which meant Indonesia was
the 5th of the largest countries in number of internet users on 2010.”
(Antara.com & Kompas.com).
Some of news industries have realized the trend of global media and
digital technology development. Part of them have launched and operated
their online version, from print to electronic media; not only text, but pictures,
audio, and video. This movement is a forward step for news industries to
survive in the business in dealing with new media. However, ‘what’s the next
step to be prepared by industries?’ is the main discourse for media
practitioners. Furthermore, the changing of technology affect to individual’s
behavior in consuming information. The overview will be described on the
next page.
3
Consumer as The Controller
In the 1920’s news media were believed as the powerful tool to set the
public agenda, primarily when the election of United States president. The
prominent journalist Walter Lippmann argued that “not the advertisement or
the way of public relations practitioners culprits the hindering US
newspapers’ s objective, but the journalists themselves did” (Turow, 2009,
p.154). News media could persuade public by framing and setting the
agenda.
However, since the new media emerged, and users are more pay
attention to social media, spending their time more to notebooks or other
digital technologies rather than newspaper and other conventional media.
The popularity of conventional media becomes decreased. Social media
become the alternative way for audiences in getting information. Moreover,
they could actively as part of the news. The information work flow is faster
rather than the conventional. Many cases were come first in social media,
such Twitter or facebook, then been followed by conventional after.
New media also breakthrough the tyranny of geography which has
limited the distribution of information, news, and other products to
unreachable regions. “Shelves and their contents are available only to people
4
who happen to be in the same place as they are” (Anderson, 2008, p.162).
With the decreased power of this tyranny, media coorporations need to
improve the distribution channels, so the information could reach them who
lived in difficult area to access.
Internet or new media affect personal behaviors in receiving
information. People are getting more selective and active to information and
news they need to know and their interests. Selective means they can
choose what kinds of the information they need to know, or types of media
they would get from. Meanwhile, they are more active, not just as audiences,
but they could produce and distributes information, news,and other contents
in new media. It opened and increased the freedom of expression to people,
where they free to express, share, publish their opinions and information. The
technology has changed the culture of consumers in getting the information.
Social-economic changes in society as another part of changes, would
impact to mass media. People ‘tend to be time-poor, but asset -rich’ (Quinn,
2005, p. 27) . In fact, they are willing to pay more to get a better treatment
and People are willing to pay somethinginternet is getting easier to be
accessed everywhere and no time limit, and people think ‘surfing information
in the internet’ is better than other mass media, they might move to new
media, and leave conventional mass media. It would impact to profit and
political interest media industries.
5
The cultural change of personal’s behaviors, technology alteration,
and social – economic causes force the existing media to deal with it. The
competition between media industries is getting harder, in order to anticipate
audience erosion. “Audience erosion (Turrow, 2006, p. 190) refers to a
decrease in the percentage of the population using a particular mass medium
or a specific media outlet.”
Some scholars and media practitioners predict that the print media
era (especially, the newspaper) would be dead. Philip Meyers, in the
Vanishing Newspapers, calculated that “the first quarter of 2043 will be the
moment when newsprint dies in America as the last exhausted reader tosses
aside the last crumpled edition,” (The Economist, August 24, 2006).
Why print? As The Economist wrote if “newspapers have the most to
lose from the internet, rather than all of the “old” media” (The Economist,
August 24, 2006). It is proofed that the circulation of newspapers in America,
western Europe, Latin America, Australia, and some other countries has
been falling, and some organizations bankruptcy.
In Indonesia, the prediction on the end of the newspapers has not
been calculated systematically. Some still feel optimistic about the future of
6
newspapers in Indonesia. However, not a few of them also predicted that the
end of newspapers in Indonesia will ended in 2050 (Eisy, Ridlo, 2009).
In The Economist (2006) stated that, the decline of newspapers
circulations was hastened by the web. However, Chris Anderson in 2010,
analyzed that “the web is going to decline in two decades after its birth, and
replace with the applications” (Anderson and Wolff, 2010), which much easier
and more flexible to audiences in getting the information and data, rather to
find on the web. It may another threat for the newspapers organizations.
To break the projections and opinions of media analysts, the
conventional mass media, especially print, need to deal with these changes.
Kompas as the largest national newspapers has concerned with these issues
since 1998. Therefore, Kompas transformed the contents and news platforms
into digital media, such as Kompas.com, Kompas ePaper, Kompascetak, etc.
Transforming the content from text to bytes format (digital) can be called as a
part of convergence.
Convergence is a key point to maintain the relationships and build two
way communication models between traditional media and their public.
Lawson-Borders (2006, p.8) viewed if “convergence could also as the
window of opportunity for traditional media to align itself with technologies of
the 21st century.”
7
A. Nachison of the American Press Institute’s Media Center (cited in
Lawson-Border, 2006, p.3) defined convergence as “the strategic,
operational, product, and cultural union of print, audio, video and interactive
digital information services and organizations.” For Henry Jenkins (2004), an
American scholar from Media studies, “convergence is not just about
technology shift, but relates with the brain of the consumers.”
The concept of convergence is not a new thing. Before internet was
popular, some media have used convergence model, by using the term of
‘synergy’. Ithiel de Sola Pool, a revolutionary of social sciences field, has
found the ‘convergence of model’ in 1983.
“A process called “convergence of models” is blurring the lines between media, even between point-to-point communications, such as the post, telephone, and telegraph, and mass communications, such as press, radio, and television. Conversely, a services that was provided in the past by any one medium—be it broadcasting, the press, or telephony—can now be provided in several different physical ways” (Pool, 1983, p.23).
The concept of media convergence was raised from a merger
between the large media corporation Time Warner (old media) and AOL (new
media) in 2000. AOL dropped from the stock ticker and company name in
2003” (Laura-Border, 2002). Many viewed that the merger between both
were not equal, however “Time-Warner and AOL successfully become ‘an
Internet-driven media entertainment company‘“(p.29).
8
However, debates of convergence often buzz between academic
scholars and media industries. Dailey, Demo, & Spillman (2003, p. 1) found
two different views about convergence, “people who see convergence simply
as a technological development driven by new available digital tools and
others who say convergence must be defined in terms of fundamental
changes in storytelling.”
Regarding with the development of media industries in Indonesia,
some people think if our national media has not convergence yet, but others
said, it has become convergence, because it applies content-sharing from
one news platform coalescence with the other platforms in one medium.
The very common things we could see regarding the convergence
term and application, among news platforms in Indonesia is cross- promotes,
and cloning level between some media platforms.
Cross-promotion level occurs when the media organization promote
the content of their partners through text, visual, or audio elements. For
instance, a television news anchor might direct viewers to newspapers or
web site to know more information about the story.
Meanwhile, at the Cloning level, “one partner republishes the other
content with little editing.” (Dailey, Demo, & Spillman, 2003, p.4). For
9
example, the news announcer read some articles from the newspapers and
add some information relates to the story. At this level, the information or
news is not gathered together, and no-shared plans among news outlets.
Based on some studies of media convergence, researchers found if
the convergence is not just occured between the technology utilization and
content transformation, however the newsroom cultures, which has been
formed and adapted in the newsroom, is also changed within the
implementation of media convergence.
The role of newsroom is important for media organizations, because it
such a heart or nucleus of the organizations, where the news produced every
day in the newsroom. Besides, the work flow of journalists, editors, and
members of media organizations occurs in the newsroom everyday.
Therefore, if the organizations implemented the new innovations, the largest
impact from whole of changes is the core (newsroom), which is a center of
news production and published.
The executive director of Ifra’s center for Advanced News Operations,
Kerry Northup, (Quinn, Steven, 2002) noted several prominent changes
when he came to some newsrooms media organizations in America and
Asia. First, the mindset or attitude change, second is the work flow of
employees.
10
Changing in the newsroom’s structure also impact to the role of
journalists in the multimedia environment. In a study case of Media General’s
Tampa News Center by Garrison & Dupagne (2008), journalists for print,
online, or broadcasts, should be able for multi-tasked. “Some newspaper
journalists function even more like television reporters and prepare reports on
the air”. Steve Yelvington, news consultant, “the new role of Journalists’ is as
a guide rather than gatekeeper” (Quinn, Steven, 2002.p.6).
Figure 1.1. Media Convergence Process
S
Source: Primary data (literature review), 2011
As a moment of convergence era in Indonesia, some of large media
industries have turned their business strategies to convergence, such as Viva
Media Group (ANTV and TVOne as tv platforms, vivanews.com as online
news), Media Nusantara Citra Group, which has three television broadcasts
networks and other cable televisions, four radio broadcasts, newspapers and
magazines, and online), and others such Tempo Media Group and Kompas
11
Gramedia Group. Those big groups are some media which are seen move
forward to convergence, rather than others.
However, Kompas is selected to be the media on this research, due to
some reasons. Since 46 years ago, Kompas has been known as a national
newspapers, which exists untill today. However, it is not easy to maintain the
audiences’ loyalty among the competition of other media, the presence of
media technology transformation, and the difference of audiences’ interests.
They (media) which don’t aware and prepare might be displaced with those
factors.
To maintain the loyalty and reach new audiences, Kompas expands
some power and strategies with combine the technology, audiences, and
products (content). In 2010, Kompas achieved awards from World
Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) as the “Best
in Digital Content – Cross Media Editorial Coverage.” The coverage news
have displayed in multi-media platforms, such as print form in Kompas
newspaper, internet on Kompas.com, and video (Kompas.com, 24 Nov
2010). The cross-content between the media platforms is seen as a
beginning of convergence for Kompas, as a news company.
As the largest national newspaper media in Indonesia, Kompas made
some new movements in media technology approach, by introduce and
12
promote the new readers’ culture in reading news. The newspaper
transformed into several news outlets and able to be viewed in many
application technologies, include e-Reader in iPad, and e-paper. In digital
world, Kompas offers as the largest mega portal in Indonesia, Kompas.com.
It offers several canals, include Kompas video and radio streaming.
It began publication on June 28,1965, with circulation 4800 copies.
Kompas dominates the newspaper sales in national. In 2004, the circulation
is up to 530.000 copies, especially on Sunday raised up to 610.000 copies.
The readers are around 2.25 million people surround Indonesia.
On the internet, Kompas established Kompas online, and reborned as
Kompas.com in 1998, as the largest portals in Indonesia. From Kompas.com,
audiences find the contents in multi-media, such text, images, video,
animations. The online units increased the audiences for their needs on
information, that reached until 20 million active readers per month, and a total
of 40 million page views / impressions per month. (Kompas.com’s company
profile, 2008).
Kompas has transformed the newspaper to digital paper, or to be
called as Kompas e-paper, which was launched on July 1, 2009. Moreover,
Kompas launched Kompascetak, which the content is same as the
newspapers, but without the advertisement.
13
Media convergence is viewed as the new way for media organizations
to deal with the emerge of technology (new media), consumers’culture
alteration, and accomodate with the economic politic interests. Even Lawson-
Borders (2006), noted if convergence has not empirically prooved as the best
business model.
Among the editor of Kompas.com (personal communication, April
11,2011), “Kompas is in the progress to be media convergence, but need to
take the map how the convergence will be implement in the company”
(personal interview, 11 April 2011).
On this paper, the research focuses on the effort of Kompas
newsroom toward the media convergence in dealing with the alteration of
technology, consumers’ cultures, and other interests. Taking a quotation from
Steven Quinn that, “For knowledge management to flourish, change has to
start in the engine-room of the information driven organization-the
newsroom.(p.32)” Therefore, newsroom is important to start the change and
implement new technology.
To facilitate this research, it requires a case that has been
successfully experienced media convergence. I will take the case of the
Tribune Company as a convergence pioneer since the 1990s.
14
1.2. Problem Statement
1. In what way Kompas would implement the media convergence in the
newsroom and structure?
2. How does Kompas accomodate the implementation of media
convergence to the journalists (editorial staff) and newsroom?
3. How does Kompas accomodate the changing of newsroom in purpose
the media convergence?
4. What are the perspectives from journalists and other staff about the
media & newsroom convergence?
1.3. Study Objectives
1. To understand the newsroom structure in adopting the new concept of
technology, toward the media convergence.
2. To define media convergence model for Kompas, as media
organizations.
3. To figure out the role of journalists in each news platform in gathering
and sharing news for digital contents.
4. To see the readiness of Kompas newsroom to be media convergence.
5. To understand obstacles which are faced by Indonesian media
industries in implementing media convergence.
15
1.4. Significance of Study
Besides to fulfill the requirement of passing the Post Graduate
Program, the study is significant for academic scholars, because the changes
of media environment, include the technology savvy and audiences cultures,
would affect the structures and job descriptions of professionals in the
conventional mass media.
It might changes and generates more new theories rather than the
previous communication researches. Moreover, the media convergence in
Indonesia is quiet new, as the media in Indonesia have not implemented the
convergence yet. Therefore, many topics would be gained related on the
convergence in the newsroom.
In addition for academic studies, the media scholars would
understand the changes of newsroom structure, the work flow and roles of
journalists, so that the scholars also learned some multi-tasking roles of
journalists, such writing for print, online, and producing news video.
For media industries and communication practitioners, the study is
very useful in mapping the organizational work flow structures, progress and
steps toward media convergence, by adjusting with the condition of
technology and audiences in Indonesia. Furthermore, the research could be
16
a reference for them in considering the convergence implementation in their
organizations.
1.5. Scope and Limitation
This research will focus on organizational newsoom’s work flow and,
structure in Kompas newsroom, include the management, the journalists and
editorial staff. The research also based on some literature reviews, as the
reference to understand the changing and efforts of Kompas newsroom in
achieving the goal to be media convergence. The research will take two
months, on June & July due to the submitted date line of thesis.
17
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1. Theoretical Framework
2.1.1. Diffusion of Innovations
Following the previous research of Lawson-Borders in her observation
to media convergence in some media organizations, Diffusion of Innovation
theory from Everests Rogers is one of theories which applicables with this
research. Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory is believed for some
scholars as the most suitable theory where the organization adjust with the
technology inside it. In his book, Rogers (1995) described two terms, before
he discussed about the theory. “Diffusion is the process by which an
innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the
members of a social system.”
Among Rogers and Kincaid (1981), “communication as a two way
process of convergence, rather than one way, a linear act in which one
individual seeks to transfer the message to another, in achieving certain
effects.” It is such an interaction between a change agent and new client to
adopt an innovation. The client perhaps have some problems with the
innovation and seek the solution with the agent. It takes several process in to
decrease the uncertainty which involved in diffusion. Therefore, “diffusion is a
18
special type of communication concerned with the spread of messages that
are perceived as new ideas.”
In his seminar (1995, cited in Lawson-Borders,2006) viewed, two
perspectives rose when new media adopted. “From audience perspective,
media organizations must assess how to meet their interests in an electronic
environment. From media organizations perspective, they need to bring in
line the progress and concepts they use, for purpose of convergence.”
Rogers (as cited by Lawson-Borders) suggested five steps of
innovation, and described in the below table.
Table 2.1.
The Innocation Process in an Organization
(Source: Lawson-Borders, 2003, p. 93)
Rogers noted two broad activities as it is seen in the Table 2.1;
Initiation and Implementation. Initiation defined as “all o f t he in f o rm at ion
gat her ing, concep t ualizing and p lann ing f o r t he ad op t ion o f an
19
innovat ion , lead ing up t o t he d ecision t o ad op t ,” and
implementation, def ined as “all o f t he even t s, act ions, and d ecisions
invo lved in p ut t ing an innovat ion in t o use” (Law rence-Bord ers,
2006,p .44).
The p rogress o f in it iat ion is cat egor ized in t o t w o st ep s, are
Agend a set t ing and Mat ch ing. It is con t inued w it h
im p lem ent at ion p rogress, w h ich includ e Red ef in ing and
rest ruct ur ing, Clar if ying, and Rout in izing. Those st ep s are
exp lained b elow t he line.
1. Agenda Setting
When the company has recognized if the emergence of technologies,
internet, and new media are appear, and the Rogers’ theoretical arguments
are applicable to media in the agenda-setting stage. “Here is where the
media industry recognized that new ways of connecting (pardon the pun) to
readers and viewers were necessary to remain a viable commodity in the
lives of busy users and readers” (Lawson-Border, 2006,p.46).
2. Matching
Media organizations reach the matching stage by developing online
divisions with staff and resources within the organization or as separate
20
business units. For example, nytimes.com as the alternative news of The
New York Times as the presence in online world. “The Web site is applicable
to discussions of the matching stage because its creation is a response to
the agenda that was set in the public and media industry as computerand
Internet use escalated.” (Lawson-Border, 2006, p. 49).
3. Redefining & Restructuring
When the technology is adjusted to meet the needs of the
organizations, the media organizations could be placed in the redefining /
restructuring stage. As the reaction of innovation adjusted, the media
organizations could do the business change, even it change to the economic
models, merge with other company, cutting staff for eficiency, or cross
promotions or media platforms to optimize the delivery of contents and
information. “This redefining / restructuring stage is where multiple
adjustments can be made by an organization to tweak an innovation to its
best potential” (Lawson-Borders, 2006, p.52).
4. Clarifying
When the significance and functions of innovation has been
understood in the organizations and staff. For example, journalists are
trained in other business units, such as newspaper photographers, video
journalists, broadcast cameraman, etc. Furthermore, the management style
change in line the innovation adjusted.
21
5. Routinizing
This stage indicates when the innovation becomes a routinity of the
organization. The industry continue to develop their strategy for the future.
The research use Difussion of Innovations to understand the way how
media organization handles and prepares the new technology to the
organization until the innovation is implemented inside the organization. The
theory is suitable for the first layer of technology implementation in the media
organization, such as Kompas. However, the theory would be supported with
other theories, Change Management and Adaptative Structuration Theory to
seek the changes of newsroom after implement the innovation.
2.1.2. Change Management
To understand the change inside the organization, the research
combine the diffusion of innovation with the management approach, change
management. The second theory is applied Among Jeff Hiatt, the author of
Employee's Survival Guide to Change, “Change management is the process,
tools and techniques to manage the people-side of business change to
22
achieve the required business outcome, and to realize that business change
effectively within the social infrastructure of the workplace.“
To learn the change management is important because nowadays, the
emerge of technology and new system force many companies to adjust with
changes. “Change management assist the organization to break down old
mindsets, and effective in culture change” (Smith, 2005). Hence, change
management has grown up as knowledge and skills in the field of study.
Some example of change management (‘Change management’, n.d.) are:
1. Missionary changes
2. Strategic changes
3. Operational changes (including Structural changes)
4. Technological changes
5. Changing the attitudes and behaviors of personnel
Due to the applications in organization changes, change management works in the media organizations either. For example, BBC (Smith, 2005) involves change management for doing a successful internal communication function, besides marketing, organizational development, journalism, etc. “Those making a life-long career of an organization will bring a different perspective from those passing through” (p.46).
Figure 2.1. Change Management Focus on Convergence
23
Source: Jeff Hiatt. The Definition and History of Change Management. (n.d)
Above the Figure 2.1, there are two converging and predominant fields
of thought to understand change management is considered.
a. Engineers (mechanical focus on change),
“This mechanical system perspective focuses on observable,
measurable business elements that can be changed or improved,
including business strategy, processes, systems, organizational
structures and job roles” (Hiatt, n.d.)
b. Psychologists (human focus on change).
Concerned on the way individual thinks and behave to change and the
environment.
After the innovation had implemented in the organization, Kompas
Gramedia Group, found if the newsroom structure and editorial
managements need to be changed. Technical change and human
management change occurs inside the newsroom. The changes need a
process, tools, and a techique to support the collaboration. The most
important, concern on the human management, which difficult to be changed.
2.1.3. Adaptative Structuration Theory
24
Many scholars believes if the effects of technology to the systems are
less than to human reacts. Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST), derived from
Anthony Giddens’s Structuration Theory (Giddens, 1984) addresses issues
of human behaviour in the context of technology based on social structure.
De Sanctis and Poole proposed adaptive structuration theory (AST) as
a framework for studying variations in organization change that occur as
advanced technologies are used. The process between people incorporate
with the advanced technologies described in two main concepts,
structuration and appropriation. In the below following are descriptions of two
concepts, which taken from e-paper of Darshana & Nor Hidayati (n.d.).
1. Structuration (Giddens, 1984), a basic fundamental in AST, which
posits that systems and structures exist in a dual relationship with
each other such that they produce and reproduce each other in an
ongoing cycle.
2. De Sanctis and Poole measure some levels of appropriation is
captured through these dimensions; the (1) Attitude towards
appropriation, the (2) Faithfulness of appropriation, (3) Instrumental
uses and the (4) consensus (DeSanctis and Poole, 1994).
“Attitude captures the user’s feelings and emotions of users as he or she applies and adopts the structures. Attitude is considered to be the vehicle that reflects the stability of the appropriation process (Gopal, Bostrom, & Chin, 1992). Faithfulness captures the intentions for the
25
Figure 2.2. Conceptual Framework (Boundaries Convergence Level)
system as perceived by its users. It is important as the authors compare and align these intentions for the system as perceived by its users against those goals and values as posited by its developers(Chin, Gopal, & Salisbury, 1997). Instrumental uses capture the extent of one uses the system. It is important to understand the different purposes in which the users employ the systems for in an attempt to identify any deviant or defiant use. Stakeholders may choose to appropriate the features for different instrumental uses, or purposes such as tasks or exploratory (DeSanctis and Poole, 1994). Consensus captures the extent of innovation technology accomodates the needs and demands of all employee cohorts” (ibid, n.d).
AST would be used as one of theories besides Difussion of Innovation
and Change Management on this research. It is focused on the human
reaction to the technology adjustment in the organization, especially in
Kompas newsroom. How do newsroom’s staff, include journalists, find their
ways in adaptation with the new system?
2.2. Conceptual Framework
Source: Primary Data, 2011
26
The conceptual framework or namely as “Boundaries Convergence
Level” in Figure 2.2., explained three theories framework that would be
applied to seek the relation between the implementation of innovation in the
organization (read: newsroom). The newsroom is surrounded by three
conceptual theories, which build the convergence innovation in the
newsroom.
The first boundary is Difussion of Innovation. According Rogers’ note
about five steps innovation progress in media organizations, which are
Agenda setting, matching, redefining & restructuring, clarifying, and
routinizing. Agenda setting is the first step when the media organizations
recognized the emergence of technology. It was influenced from the outside
organization, the social-cultural of audiences, the globalization, technology
and environment. In this phase, media organization consider to use the new
innovation, and haven’t implemented the innovation yet.
The second step is Matching. In this phase, “the media organization
develops the online divisions with staff and resources within the organization
or as separate business units” (Lawson-Borders, 2006,p.48). Kompas has
reached this step since 1998, by establishing news online business,
Kompas.com which become one of the powerful news brand in online,
27
ranked as the 14th of the most visited sites in Indonesia (Alexa.com, July
2011).
When the innovation adjusted and meet the needs of media
organization, and the media organization take the action that change the
structure inside, includes the resources, the media is doing the redefining
and restructuring phase. In this phase, the organization restructure the
management style, such as cutting the staff, combined resources, and other
ways, to find which ways that suitable to implement the innovation. If Kompas
restructure or change the management style, it means it try to find the
innovation which suitable for the organization.
Kompas enters the Clarify phase, when the use of innovation
becomes widespread and the importance is clearer to all members of
organization. This phase is also begins to enter the outermost layer of
Adaptative Structuration Theory.
To reach a fully convergence, the structure of organization need to be
re-organized, which converge the newsroom and the work flow of the
business unit. However, to change the newsroom and its inside, should
concern on the attitude and mindset of journalists, editors, and other staff in
the new system adaptation. When all the system, management, and
resources are collaborate in a good path, then the media will become fully
28
convergence. However, toward the convergence is a continuing process, and
need strong commitment from every level.
2.3. Operational Framework
This research provides the framework and description of theories
which assist the readers to seek the steps would be implemented for
doing the research of Kompas newsroom.
Table 2.2. Operational Framework
Theory Implementation
Characteristic Indicator
Diffusion of Innovations
a. Agenda Setting
a. The organization recognized with the emerge of technology.
- Kompas recognize the emerge of technology and the changes of public interests.
b. Matching
b. The media organization develop online divisions as the response of agenda set by public and technology.
- Kompas has its own web site or online news as alternative news sharing in new media.
c. Redefining& Restructuring
c. The technology is adjusted to meet the organization’s needs.
- Kompas restructures its organization, include the newsrooms. -Cutting staff for eficiency. -Doing business change, such as economic model change, merge, or affiliation.
d. Clarifying
d. The significance and functions have been understood in organization and staff.
- Journalists and newsrooms staff understand the media convergence functions.
- Training for journalists to be multitasking roles.
e. Routinizing e. The innovation has been a routinity of the organization.
- The change of structure and new role become a routinity in Kompas newsroom.
29
Change Management
a. Business Process Change: implementing the agreed-upon changes across a range of disciplines.
- Does Kompas and its under news platforms have some agreements to do some changes in the business process?
- Has Kompas implemented the business change in its organization or news divisions?
b. Communication process
change: intiative to communicate for stakeholder management and all levels within the organizations, include external communications.
- Is there any internal communication between the organization to staff and management about the changes?
- Does individual or staff recognize the change among them?
c. Training & user support: initative in planning and training for needs/ skills gap analysis for preparing the change.
- Any training for journalists or users to prepare the change?
Adaptative Structuration
Theory
Structuration - What the advantages of new system that works with the newsrooms?
Appropriation, includes: - Attitude - Faithfullnes - Instrumental uses - Consensus
- What do users (journalist and editors) feel when they adopt new structure in newsroom?
- How does the intention to the new innovation that perceived by users?
- How far the users use the system for their purpose?
- How far the system could accomodate the needs of users?
30
2.4. The Convergence Continuum Model
The Convergence Continuum Model is a conceptual framework which
is developed by some communication scholars, Larry Dailey, Lori Demo, and
Mary Spillman from Ball State University in 2003. The framework is made to
assists researchers in measuring the parameter of convergence level in the
newsroom organizations. It consists five levels convergence – 5C’s – cross
promotion, cloning, coopetition, content sharing, and full convergence.
“Five circles on the continuum illustrate that each position is characterized by a range of behaviors that can overlap as the degree of interaction and cooperation activities increases. The arrows shows that a partners’ place is not fixed, it can be moved forth or back depends with the nature of news and commitment to convergence by workers and managers. For exam p le, p ar t ners m igh t d em onst rat e a great er d egree o f in t eract ion and coop erat ion on a sp ecial p ro ject – such as elect ion coverage – b ut exh ib it lesser d egrees o f in t eract ion and coop erat ion d ur ing t he average new s d ay.” (Dailey, Demo, & Spillman, 2003, p.4).
At the left end of the continuum is the cross-promotion level, which the
least amount of interaction and coopetation between members in the different
news organizations. Commonly, the media organization promotes the content
of their partners through text, visual, or audio elements. For instance, a
31
television news anchor might direct viewers to newspapers or web site to
know more information about the story.
The right side of cross-promotion level is clonning. It occurs when “one
partner republishes the other partner’s product with little editing. For
example, the news announcer read some articles from the newspapers and
add some information relates to the story. At this level, the information or
news is not gathered together, and no-shared plans among news outlets.
The third continuum model is coopetition, which news outlets both
cooperate and compete. The news platforms promote and share their stories
about their working on. They might work together on the information-
gathering. However, in the same time, their level of distrust is quiet high,
which limits their interaction and collaboration. “The print journalist might
appear as a comentator or expert in the television for same projects, however
both of them might keep their special information, which might be exclusive
for their products” (Dailey, Demo, & Spillman, 2003, p.5).
The right side of coopetition, content-sharing, when “media platforms
regularly (but not always) share information between them, and the content
will publish after it’s repackaged by the organization’s staff members. They
might share news budgets or attend to other’s planning session.” (Dailey,
Demo, & Spillman, 2003, p.5). At this level, the collaboration has been seen
32
by each other platforms, especially on doing special projects, but the news is
still produced by their ownselves.
The last or the right level of the continuum is full convergence in which
the partners collaborate in gathering and disseminating the news. “Their
common goal is to use the strenghts of different media to tell the story in the
most effective way” (Dailey, Demo, & Spillman, 2003, p.5). Hybrid teams of
journalists form from media platforms, the team works together to plan,
report, and produce news. They also decide in what way the content is
effective for print, television, online, and digital. After the team gathered and
produced the news, they dsperse as the project’s finished.
Figure 2.3. Convergence Continuum Model
Source: Dailey, Demo, & Spillman, 2003
33
2.5. Definition of Term
2.5.1. Media Convergence
The definition of convergence does not have any clear
standardization, which generate more buzz between academic scholars and
media industries. The term of convergence is basically from two Latin words,
con- (means: together) and vergere (means : to incline). Convergere means
to incline together. (‘Con-verge’, n.d.)
Kung, et al., in their paper ‘The Impact of digital revolutions in media
industries, noted that “convergence is a ubiquitous but loosely defined term
commonly understood to denote the blurring of boundaries between the
media, telecoms and information technology sectors.”
The European Union (cited by Appelgren, 2004, p. 239) in 1997
suggested two possible uses for convergence concept, “the first one being
the possibility for many types of networks to distribute principally similar
services and the second being the merging together of different electronic
appliances such as telephones, television sets and computers”.
34
Appelgren (2004) also cited the statement from Golding and Murdock
about the phenomenon of convergence, in the following.
“For the first time, all forms of communication - text, statistical data, images both moving and fixed, music and speech, can now be encoded, stored and forwarded with the same fundamental digital vector of zeros and ones, the language of the computers. The result is that the boundaries for what up until today have been separate areas of communications are now dissolving. We are now entering the era of convergence. The potential is impressive and new combinations are becoming possible.”
From journalism perspective, according to the Missouri Group
(Lawson-Borders, 2006, p.3) “convergence - is the practice of sharing and
cross-promoting content from a variety of media, some interactive, through
newsroom collaborations and partnerships”.
Another definition which focused on multimedia applications, by Wirtz
(cited in Lawson-Borders,2006, p.3) was
“Convergence can be defined as the dynamic approach or partial integration of different communication and information-based market applications. A further aspect of convergence is that it brings out integrated multimedia products and services that render possible the satisfaction of additional and multiple consumer preferences.”
A.Nachison of the American Press Institute’s Media Center (cited in
Lawson-Border, 2002, p.3) defined convergence as “the strategic,
35
operational, product, and cultural union of print, audio, video and interactive
digital information services and organizations.”
In the cultural perspective, Henry Jenkins, an American scholar from
Media studies, noted if “convergence is not just a technological process, but
takes place “within the brains of individual consumers and through their
social interactions with others.
Kung, et al. (1999), in their paper ‘The Impact of digital revolutions in
media industries, noted that “convergence is a ubiquitous but loosely defined
term commonly understood to denote the blurring of boundaries between the
media, telecoms and information technology sectors.” [Hence], “media
convergence is an ongoing process, occurring at various intersections of
media technologies, industries, content and audiences; it’s not an end state
(Jenkins, 2003-2004).
To avoid the confussion in leading media convergence, Jenkins (2001)
described convergence into five processes, namely:
1. Technological convergence – when words, images and sounds are
transformed into digital information, we expand the potential
relationships between them and enable them to flow across platforms.
2. Economic convergence - the horizontal integration of the
entertainment industry, which the result has been the restructuring of
36
cultural production around “synergies,” and thus the transmedia
exploitation of branded properties, such as Star Wars, Pokemon,
Harry Potter. For example: AOL Time Warner which controls interests
in film, television, books, games, the Web, music, real estate and
countless other sectors.
3. Social or organic convergence - Consumers’ multitasking strategies
for navigating the new information environment. Organic convergence
is what occurs when a high schooler is watching baseball on a big-
screen television, listening to techno on the stereo,wordprocessing a
paper and writing e-mail to his friends.
4. Cultural convergence - The explosion of new forms of creativity at
the intersections of various media technologies, industries and
consumers. Media convergence fosters a new participatory folk culture
by giving average people the tools to archive, annotate, appropriate
and recirculate content. It foster consumer loyalty and generate low-
cost content. Media convergence also encourages transmedia
storytelling the development of content across multiple channels.
5. Global Convergence - The cultural hybridity that results from the
international circulation of media content. In music, the world-music
movement produces some of the most interesting contemporary
sounds, and in cinema, the global circulation of Asian popular cinema
profoundly shapes Hollywood entertainment. These new forms reflect
the experience of being a citizen of the“global village.”
37
2.5.2. Newsroom
“While the newsroom is at the centre of the newspaper’s knowledge
capabilities, the newspaper is also a manufacturing company which produces
and distributes a new product every day.” Vince Giuliano, chief executive
officer of SimVenture (Quinn, Steven, 2002, p. 19).
Newsroom is often likened as the heart of news industry, which is the
wheel center of news circulation and work flow of editorial and journalists.
Quinn (2002) noted, newsroom is such as the engine-room of the
information-driven organization. Newroom is a part of media industry, where
journalists, editors, producers, and other news staff together in gathering-
selecting- producing, and supporting information and news to be published
on newspaper, television broadcast, or radio.
Some understanding of the media convergence that media industries
not only distribute news and cross several news platforms, but its newsroom
structure also changed.
38
To deal with changes, Quinn concluded from several media
practitioners, and found three categories related with changes in the
newsroom, like in this following:
1. Attitudinal – change in mindset and perception of people of their role.
2. Physical – the new structure of newsroom.
3. Technical – links with attitudinal, about the ways of people in adjust
the technology.
2.5.3. Components of Newsroom
Pit Gottschalk, a former editor- in- chief of the German newspaper
“Sport-Bild”, and also responsible for conglomerate projects of the
newspaper arm at Axel Springer, analyzed specifically four aspects in an
organization: “culture, tasks, people and systems. To evaluate it, a
questionnaire is used with cover topics,such as journalist practice, newsroom
management, working organization, and convergence” (Schantin, October 6,
2010).
1. Culture – involves the culture of the newsroom of media
integration, such as the whole behaviour pattern, the thought
pattern, the belief system, shared values, the informal culture .
2. Tasks – involves the roles, responsibilities in the newsroom.
However, in each type of newsroom, the tasks are different. For
instance, in the newsroom 1.0, a journalist is responsible in writing
39
Figure 2.5. Pit Gottschalk’s Types of Newsroom
the article for newspaper, but in the newsroom 3.0, the role is more
complex. The journalist would make the story across different
platforms and write in different versions.
3. People – examines the area of skills, knowledges and abilities of
resources (journalists). Are they capable of thinking across media?
4. Structure and systems – the systems involves the management
systems, such as the processes and organizational structures.
Moreover, how about the leadership and the management sytems?
For instance, are there incentive systems when they become a
multi-tasking journalist?
Figure 2.4. Pit Gottschalk’s Components of Organizational Allignment
Based on Pit Gottschalk Source: WAN-IFRA NEWSPLEX Presentation, 2010
2.5.4. Types of Newsroom
Pit Gottschalk also measured the development of convergence and
integration in the level editorial. He found three types of newsrooms, that also
could be used for the measurement in every newsroom.
Source: Schantin, WAN- IFRA, 2010
40
Source: Schantin, WAN-IFRA, 2010
Source: Schantin, WAN-IFRA, 2010
Figure 2.7. Newsroom 2.0
1. Newsroom 1.0
The newsroom structure is not changed, each newsroom in every
media platform running on their own tasks. There has been no
collaboration between platforms. The editorial performance still work
with the main task, for example, a print journalist writes only for
newspapers.
Figure 2.6. Newsroom 1.0.
2. Newsroom 2.0
The collaboration occurs in the newsroom. It is seen from the workflow
on each section, not only making for one media platform, but
contributing for all platforms. The content, then is selected and
41
decided by editors from each platforms. In this newsroom, the
structure is slowly changing.
3. Newsroom 3.0
A full collaboration, both in term of content, resources, and the layout
of the newsroom. Journalists become multitask resources. Each
section is not only responsible for gathering content, but also selecting
and taking decision to display the content for each media platform.
The article written by Jason Fry (ex- reporter, columnist, and editor in
The Wall Street Journal Online) might give some pictures of the changing of
newsroom.“Technologically speaking, many newsrooms are still a Rube
Goldberg machine of awkward handoffs between different systems, code
Source: Schantin, WAN-IFRA, 2010
Source: Schantin, WAN-IFRA, 2010
Figure 2.8. Newsroom 3.0.
42
thrown over walls of incompatibility (often with messy landings) and people
forced to be human bridges across technological gaps” (Fry, 2009).
2.5.5. Smart Newsroom
The convergence in the newsroom not only brings together the
editors, journalists, contents from multi-platforms in one single newsroom. It
also creates a smart newsroom.
In his book, Stephen Quinn defines three meaning. First, “knowledge
management processes can improve the newsgathering process through
smarter use of information. In another sense, smart means that media
organizations need to recruit, train, and retain better educated staff” (Quinn,
2005, p.153). In the knowledge age, journalists need to be smart to use story
telling methods to accomodate the complex audiences. In other way, the
journalist need to learn multi-media skills therefore their curicullum vitae are
good to apply the job.
43
The role of journalists is very important for the information process.
Information is raw material before it processed become news for audiences.
David Shenk (1997), “The major challenges for journalists was their
willingness to share information,to manage thoughtfully, and to transform it
into knowledge,” (Quinn, 2005, p.155).
Knowledge is sit at the top of pyramid of data, information, and
knowledge, which is valuable and the product of education, training, and
experience. (2005, p. 155). Knowledge is not simple, it needs to be manage
carefully. Different from information, knowledge is hard to be undersand,
because to understand need the logical terms.
2.5.6. Knowledge Management
Creating a smart newsroom relates on the knowledge management
based on the newsroom. According to Karl-Erik Sveiby, who runs the
consultant company, Sveiby Knowledge Management in Australia described,
knowledge management as “the art of creating value by leveraging an
organization’s intagible assets” (Quinn, 2005, p.156).
“Knowledge management was vital for implementing the kind of
newsroom needed for doing multi-platform journalism,” Kerry Northrup said in
1999, as the executive director of Ifra’s Center for Advanced News
44
Operations in the seminar “the Battle of newsroom’s mindset”. According to
him, knowledge management could be an investment for newsroom. (Quinn,
2005, p.158).
Guiliano said, knowledge based newsroom would create a long term
investment possiblities for news organizations, but changed of mindset in
journalists is needed (Quinn, 2005, p. 158).
44
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH DESIGN & METHOD
In order to reach the objective of this research, the researcher designed a
work plan which will explain more details in this chapter. This chapter consists of
research design and method, data generation procedure, data generation
instrument, resource persons, data generation schedule and data analysis
procedure.
3.1 Research Design and Method
The methodology used in this study is qualitative research methodology,
which mainly relies on the analysis of words that reflect everyday experience.
Qualitative research is a methodology that concerns more about issues of the
richness, texture, and feeling of raw data because the inductive approach
emphasizes developing insights and generalization out of the data collected
(Neuman, 2006).
Denvin and Lincoln offered another definition qualitative research if the
research has relations with naturalistic approach surround the researchers.
45
“Qualitative research is a situated activity that locates the observer in the world. It consists of a set of interpretive, material practices that makes the world visible. These practices..turn the world into a series of representations including fieldnotes, interviews, conversations, photographs, recordings and memos to the self. At this level, qualitative research involves an interpretive, naturalistic approach to the world. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them. (cited in Ritchie&Lewis,2003, p.2-3)” Ritchie, Lewis and others view that qualitative research as the empirical
investigation and creative discovery, a mix of science and art. (Ritchie & Lewis,
2003). Doing the qualitative research is aimed to understand the meaning of
social actions in the people’s live. Max Weber (1864-1920) proposed two types
of understanding: “direct observational understanding, and explanatory or
motivational understanding“ (Ritchie & Lewis, 2003,p.7).
According to Neuman (2006), because qualitative research is conducted
in inductive approach, most qualitative researchers discuss cases in their social
context and develop grounded theories that emphasizes tracing the processes
and sequences of events in specific settings. Thus, they explain how people
attach meaning to events and learn to see events and learn to see events from
multiple perspectives.
The researcher use the qualitative method is that the data obtained for
method is that the data obtained for materials of research is in the form of
46
written words from the results of interview with key informant and informant and
also its ability to able the researcher to be closely involved with research
participants. According to Daymon and Holloway (2002) this will help research to
better understand social processes, the motivations of human beings, and the
contexts in which they are situated.
There are some classifications about the functions of qualitative research,
such as (a) contextual, (b) explanatory, (c) evaluative, and (d) generative.
Researcher will use the contextual, which the functions have been called as
descriptive or explotary by other authors. “ Contextual or in another word,
descriptive, is concerned with identifying what exists in social world and the way
its manifest itself (Ritchie & Lewis, 2003, p.27). “Descriptive case explorations
require that the investigator present a descriptive theory, which establishes the
overall framework for the investigator to follow throughout the study”
(Berg,2001,p.230).
The purpose of the research is to describe participants’ understanding
and interpretations of social phenomena, which in this case is adjustment of
media convergence in the Kompas’ newsroom.
47
3.2 Data Generation Procedure
The researcher use a triangulation method, which consist of document
review, in depth-interview, observation as the information source. Triangulation
is used to validate, integrate, and strenghten data and information, to provide
‘more’ picture. Among Denzin (1994) (cited in Ritchie & Lewis, 2003, p. 43) “It
has been widely adopted and developed as a concept by qualitative researchers
as a means of investigating the 'convergence' of both the data and the
conclusions derived from them (Ritchie & Lewis, 2003, p.43). In order to get a
depth understanding about this method, each method will be explained below.
3.2.1 Document Review
Document consists of words and images that have been recorded without
the intervention of the researcher. They are in written, printed, sound, visual and
digital forms. According to Hodder (2000), documentary sources is important in
qualitative research because, on the whole, access to them is low cost and often
easy, the information provided in them may differ from or may not be available in
spoken form, and because documents endure over time, therefore providing
historical insights.
48
The researcher will collect data from the literature review, books, journals
and articles, or online presentations about media and newsroom convergence in
some newsroom media organizations. Besides it, the researcher will gather
information about company profile and strategy from web site and the informant
who work in Kompas. The primary and secondary data obtained were analyzed
to generate conclusion.
3.2.2. In-Depth Interview
Indepth interview or unstructured interview is one of methods used in
qualitative research. McCracken (1988) noted, in-depth or long interviews have
been called “one of the most powerful method in qualitative research because
they allow investigators to step into the mind of another person, to see and
experience the world as they do themselves” (Garrison & Dupagne, 2003, p.17).
Due to the unstructured form, in-depth interview creates a ‘more’
interactive interview between participants’, the purpose to achieve an
explanatory details of the issue, as the function of the qualitative research,
decriptive.
In-depth interview would be stress in some questions and is aimed for
participants, with the newsroom staff, such as editors, journalists, and managing
49
editors Each interview averaged 45 minutes and audiotaped with the
permissions of interviewee. Some main questions would be asked such as:
- In what way Kompas Gramedia would implement the media convergence
in the newsroom and structure?
- How Kompas Gramedia accomodate the implementation of media
convergence to the journalists (editorial staff) and newsroom?
- How Kompas Gramedia accomodate the changing of newsroom in
purpose the media convergence?
- What are the perspectives from journalists and other staff about the
media & newsroom convergence?
3.2.3. Observation
Adler and Adler (1994) suggest observervation as “the fundamental base
of all research methods” (Daymon & Holloway,2003). Participant-observation is
immersing yourself in the study of people you are not too different from. It is
almost always done covertly, with the researcher never revealing their true
purpose or identity.
Gold (1958) proposed four ‘master roles’ for the researcher,
1. Complete participation – the researcher participants in deviant or illegal activities and goes on to actively influence the direction of the group.
50
2. Participant as observer – the researcher participates in deviant or illegal activities but does not try to influence the direction of the group.
3. Observer as participant – the researcher participates in one time deviant or illegal activity but then takes a back seat to any further activities.
4. Complete observation – the researcher is a number of the group but does not participate in any deviant or illegal activities.
Observation of human action provides researcher with data about
consumer behaviors and social processes as they are enacted within the realms
of the social reality of participants (Daymon & Holloway, 2002, p.203). The
strength of observations is that it can be less disruptive and more unobtrusive
then other methods. Therefore you are less likely to influence the data you are
collecting.
As the observer, the researcher will participate in one time with other
newsroom staff. Researcher will do an observation in Kompas, especially in the
newsroom of Kompas.com, Kompas Newspaper, and Kompas TV. These data
help researcher to have a depth analysis. After all the data gathered, the
researcher will sort and make the analysis. Based on the analysis the
researcher could deliberate the conclusion and suggestion that could be useful
as an input for the company and readers.
51
3.3 Data Generation Schedule
This research will conduct for two months from May 2011 to June 2011
due to the administration requirements that should be followed.
3.4 Data Analysis Procedure
The kind of analysis data which will be used in this research is
descriptive. It describes and explains the situations or the occurrence as it is.
Data analysis which done in the field by conducting interview with the key
informant and the information obtained is analyzed qualitatively. The steps of
data analysis are:
3.4.1 Transcribes
As the researcher mentioned above, the interviews will be taped
recorded. After the interviews have been conducted, the researcher will
transcribe itself because this allows the researcher to immerse in the data to the
issues of importance.
52
3.4.2. Read the Transcribes
After make the transcript, the researcher will read it at least three times to
get a depth understanding about the information taken. The researcher also will
make a minimum of three copies of transcript so that the researcher can pinpoint
specific data when searching for them. Besides, researcher will also read a
literature review and some journals that related with the research.
3.4.3. Categorization
When you find themes and patterns in a data, a researcher can classify in
two ways. First, according to the definitions used by the participants themselves,
or according to terms created by the researcher to reflect categories for which
participants do not have labels or themes.
The research uses these following methods of data analysis procedures:
1. Collecting information from the field Triangulation Methods ( Document
review, In Depth Interview, and Observation)
2. Transcript the information
3. Sorting the information into categories
4. Review the theory with the finding
5. Analysis the finding.
98
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Conclusions
• Kompas, the biggest Indonesian mass media is going to prepare the
strategy as an effort to face the changes of media environment, such
communication technology, the audiences’ consumption culture, and
the new appearance of audiences, by socializing “Three M” (3M)
concept, or namely as Multimedia-Multichannel-Multiplatform. In other
words, Kompas use the convergence strategy in the ‘3M’ concept.
• The common goal of the 3M strategy is to maintain Kompas brand as
news company to every generation of audiences, especially engage
with youth, by its presence on every multi-platforms and different
channels.
• Different than the old structure of newsroom (newsroom 1.0), the
newsroom convergence has fully integrated and collaborated with the
technology, professionals, management, and news contents. In the
research on Kompas, the newsroom is not fully convergence, but
already seen the characteristics of collaboration and integration
99
between media platforms, namely as the newsroom 2.0 (cross-media
platforms).
• In the internal Kompas newsroom, the collaboration is created when
editors and journalists among print, multimedia, and TV together in a
meeting, to brainstorm, plan, and decide on news content, which are
suitable and effective on all media platforms.
• In addition, a multimedia desk formed, to accomodate the provision of
content in mobile and multimedia platforms. It consists of print
journalists and editors, who responsible for organizing the content for
multimedia, in exception to print. This multimedia desk is expected a
pioneer or agent of changes in the Kompas newsroom.
• Professionals, especially print journalists in Kompas have already multi-
tasked works. They have to contribute on news online, besides doing
their routinity in writing stories on newspapers. Some of them, even,
able to make news stories from the video camera, after they received
video training for making news.
• The hardest to be changed is the paradigm and journalists’ attitudes,
especially print journalists. It is difficult to change the habit in the
newsrooms that formed since 46 years ago. Resistant, even occured at
100
the beginning, but they slowly adapt the new policy, as a 20%
assessment of Key Performance Indicator.
• Kompas would be successfully achieved a fully convergence, if the
organization had an integrated newsroom convergence, which consists
the collaborative members from all or some media platforms that work
together in producing news, supported with technological convergence.
• Therefore, Kompas management need to develop efforts continously, to
realize the vision. Besides planning the future newsroom, training the
journalists, Kompas also expecting the agents of changes appear in the
internal and influence others to plan for the future newsroom.
5.2. Suggestions
Doing this research is not only to get an analysis and conclusions of
the research object. However, the researcher is expected to give a
contribution, either in the form of academic paper or some ideas that can
benefit many parties, both the industry itself as well as contributions to the
academic.
From my point of view, the convergence which working on Kompas is
a good move that could lead to a positive development among the business
101
media industries. Moreover, it is significant for academics to do lot of
researchs on the convergence in Indonesia.
5.2.1. Academic Suggestions
• Although media and newsroom convergence is not a new topic in the
international researchs, it is still an interesting and significant topic for
our researchers, that could be explored and developed from many
point of views and gained deeper. Especially, the full media
convergence have not been implemented yet by any media in
Indonesia. The opportunity to figure and assists the solution for other
researchers are opened widely.
• For schools, colleges, or universities, which have a communication
and journalism department, should consider for a curicullum to learn
about media convergence, and teach scholars as multi-tasked
journalists, such writing for newspapers, online, radio and television
broadcasting.
5.2.2. Practical Suggestions
After analyzed and observed the Kompas newsroom in several
months, and interviewed some management and members who work in
102
Kompas, the researcher see great potential contained in Kompas newsroom,
which can be much better developed. Below are the suggestions which could
be considered Kompas in planning to be fully convergence.
- Kompas need to compare some newsrooms convergence in some
media organizations, that successfully develop and restructure the
newsroom. Perhaps, some of them are suitable to be implemented in
Kompas newsroom.
- Learn and analyze carefully the condition of media environment in
Indonesia, such as “How big the impact of technology savvy to local
people?, In which area?”, etc. Implementing the new innovation should
consider the geography and the cultures of audiences. The geography
in Indonesia consists many regionals and islands, which some of them
are difficult to access the information through the internet or physical
channels.
- For professionals, they should have strong motivation and high
commitment in changing the mindset and paradigm to see the future of
media. They need to prepare themselves as multi-tasked, so that they
would survive if somehow the organizations cut-off the part of
resources.
103
- Kompas have to consider on restructuring the next job descriptions of
editors for each media platforms. Moreover, it need to restructure the
newsroom become a convergence model.
- For media practitioners and industries, this research can be a
reference for planning a new business strategy in answering the
challenges of the global media lanscapes. Although they are not
pioneers, this study could be a good learning by undestanding the
constraints and efforts that is been done toward the convergence.
53
CHAPTER IV
RESEARCH ANALYSIS
4.1. Company Profile
4.1.1. History of Kompas
Media in Indonesia were quite fast in response the changing of
cultures and technology, which influence the industry. One of them is
Kompas Gramedia Group which significantly response in changing and
advanced technology. The biggest media group, originally appeared as a
monthly magazine called Intisari in August 1963, with founders Petrus
Canisius (PK) Ojong and Jakob Oetama (JO). Intisari had reached a
circulation of 11,000 copies.
However, PT Kinta as the company that published of Intisari was no
longer survived and fallen on bankruptcy. In 1964, President Soekarno urged
the Catholic Party to make a daily newspaper. From this command, then, a
number of prominent Catholics, including Frans Seda (as he was a Minister
of Plantation), PK Ojong, Jakob Oetama, Policarpus Swantoro, R.
Soekarsono, R.G Doeriat met in several times, with the Supreme Council of
the Indonesian Bishops (MAWI) and some Catholic elements agreed to set
up Bentara Rakyat Foundation.
54
From the name of this Foundation, they proposed to use the name
"Bentara Rakyat" as the newspaper that able to offset the Communist Party's
Harian Rakyat (People's Daily). Permission was already out of the President,
but the Foundation had to secure a permission from the Jakarta Military
Commander, who was held by Lieutenant Colonel Dachja. Condition, is the
foundation they have to get 5000 signatures citizens as customers. Then,
Frans Seda instructed some reporters to collect signatures to fulfill the
requirement.
When Bentara Rakyat daily was ready published, the President
proposed “Kompas” as the name of newspaper, which means ‘the pointer
and directions’. Finally, for the first time Kompas newspaper published on 28
June 1965 as a weekly newspaper, with only 8 pages. The first time it’s
published, the circulation was around 4,800 copies. In two years, the growth
increased and reached 30,650 copies in national.
In 1970, Kompas Gramedia (KG) group began to expand its business
by establishing Gramedia Bookstore. Despite the Kompas newspaper has a
large circulation, reaching 500,000 copies per day, the Group continues to
strengthen its market share, both in the media industry, hospitality, printing
and services. Meanwhile, Kompas as the brand was already strong attached
to the community as a newspaper.
55
4.1.2. Kompas Goes Digital
As the widespread use of internet networks in Indonesia, Kompas
began to launced a website http://www.kompas.com, or kompas online in
1998, which is an online version of Kompas newspaper on the internet. In the
mid of the year, Kompas online turned into Kompas.com under the auspices
of the Kompas Cyber Media, with a different concept and format of the print
version.
Regarding the media business, the group was successful enough to
bring the media platforms among public. The media corporation has hold at
least more than ten brands of newspapers and magazines around Indonesia.
In 2000, it began to expand the broadcast business, by building TV7, with the
style and content following Jakob Oetama interest, quite similar with the
content of Kompas. However, TV7 existence not as good as Kompas and
others. In 2006, ownership of its shares taken over by Trans Corp., and
turned into Trans7.
However, Kompas.com persisted and now ranked 14 as the
Indonesian site with the most viewers (based on Alexa.com, July 2011). It
contained more diverse than the print, includes nine channels, such as
Kompas Female, Kompas Bola, Kompas Health, Kompas Tekno, Kompas
Entertainment, Kompas Otomotif, Kompas Properti, Kompas Image, and
56
Kompas Karier. As the largest mega-portal in Indonesia, Kompas.com by its
own, has reached 120 million for total page view in a month.
Kompas.com decreases audiences’ passivity by engaging citizens and
professional journalists in Kompasiana, a citizen media for express and share
anyone ideas. Kompasiana seems to be one efective way on Kompas.com,
to engage in social media emerging in this time. Within two years,
Kompasiana able to achieve several awards, include national and
international levels, such as Best Channel Citizen Journalism Blog of Pesta
Blogger 2010, Marketeers Netizen of Marketers Magazine, and Silver awards
(ranked second) Best Digital Content User – Based Content category (Best in
Digital Content Award- User Generated Content) (Kompas.com, Nov 2010).
The failure hit TV7, did not stop Kompas Gramedia Group to re-
engage in television broadcasting. In October 2009, Kompas Gramedia TV
was born, which was on internet based, and incorporated on the
Kompas.com site, or namely as vod.kompas.com. During the journey,
Kompas Gramedia TV enters the network of local or regional televisions and
aired on July 2011. It is claimed as a vehicle of the company to drive the
television business industry, and become the part of Kompas 3M (Multi
media, Multi channel, Multi platform) (‘KompasGramedia’,n.d.).
57
4.2. Convergence Implementation Among Indonesian Media
Having an online news site is a good move for conventional media to
survive and adapt to technological change and the information consumption
to audiences. Most of large media in Indonesia have have their own website
as an alternative way to engage public on the internet.
However, if having a web is an alternative way to survive, then media
industries still have to compete with each other, especially with some online
news sites that have already existed, such as detik.com, or greater number
of bloggers who capable as citizen journalists. The rise of internet users in
Indonesia and the unlimited range increasingly tightened the competition of
conventional media.
Transforming to digital also means the industry need to provide more
resources, spaces, new technologies, and a business strategy to attract the
audiences and stakeholders. For the instance, to get same news, sometimes
news company Kompas should deliver the journalist of Kompas newspaper
and Kompas.com also delivers its own journalist, which it shoul be done with
one person.
Some media practitioners and scholars realize that they need to
integrate with the technology and the market, so as not to fall behind in the
58
competition. Media convergence is blooming and becoming the trend among
media practitioners around the world. Although, the ‘convergence’ is not a
new buzz word in media studies, but the default definition and technical is
blurred. Moreover, not all media in Indonesia understand the implementation
of the convergence itself.
“Media researchers often describe convergence as a ‘melting together’
of information systems, telecommunications and media technologies,” (John
Erdal, 2007, p. 52). According to the Missouri Group (Lawson-Borders, 2006,
p.3) “convergence - is the practice of sharing and cross-promoting content
from a variety of media, some interactive, through newsroom collaborations
and partnerships”.
Meanwhile, media convergence according Henry Jenkins (Jenkins,
2001), is “an ongoing process, occuring at various intersections of media
technologies, industries, content and audiences; it’s not an end state. There
will never be one black box controlling all media”. Jenkins (Jenkins, 2001)
mentions, there are five processes that describes the process of media
convergence, as the following:
1. Technological convergence – when all the media content are
digitized. The content might be words, images, sounds, which are
transformed into digital information. Therefore we expand the
potential relationships and enable them to flow across platforms.
59
2. Economic convergence - the horizontal integration of the
entertainment industry, which the result has been the restructuring
of cultural production around “synergies,” and thus the transmedia
exploitation of branded properties.
3. Social or organic convergence -Consumers’ multitasking strategies
for navigating the new information environment.
4. Cultural convergence - The explosion of new forms of creativity at
the intersections of various media technologies, industries and
consumers. Media convergence fosters a new participatory folk
culture by giving average people the tools to archive, annotate,
appropriate and recirculate content. It foster consumer loyalty and
generate low-cost content.
5. Global convergence - The cultural hybridity that results from the
international circulation of media content.
From the five processes above, I analyze that there is one process of
convergence that commonly have implemented in Indonesian media. Those,
such as Kompas Gramedia Group, MNC Group, Detik.com, Viva news
Group, Tempo Media Group has transformed their contents into digital bytes.
Although the concept of convergence have not been implemented
fully, some media platforms have reached the level where the collaboration
and integration between members from other platforms are formed. Based on
60
the Convergence Continuum Model, which created by Dailey, Demo, &
Spillman (2003), our media platforms has implemented the collaboration
level, such as cross-promotion, cloning, and coopetition level (Read Chapter
II, page 29). Those levels were some basic ways for the media platforms to
be integrated in the full convergence.
At the cross-promotion level, the media platform places the logo on
the news stories, which published on other media platforms. At the
newspapers, for instance, in some articles, we might see the logo of news
media platforms, which direct the audiences to see the related story.
Cloning level, when the media platform displays the partners product,
without edit the story, such as, the content of news online or social media is
published on the news television. The next step is Coopetition Level, where
both of platforms cooperate, but in some time, they compete each other. For
instance, the senior print journalist appear on the television as a
commentator, however both parties have their own interests, such an
exclusive news, that won’t be shared with each of them.
Observing the level of convergence among Indonesian media, I also
see some media organizations which have planned and prepared the
strategy to be a full convergence. They are Kompas Gramedia Group (the
news businesses) and Tempo Media Group. Later, my research is
61
concerning on Kompas convergence model. I will describe the convergence
process in Kompas, from the technical until the newsroom and the journalists
work flow. However, I also give a short brief about Tempo Media Group
planning, as a comparison. (read at the Appendix).
4.2.1. Technological Convergence
The most obvious thing in proofing the technological convergence is
the transfomation of content in each media platforms owned by Kompas
Gramedia Group. Today, Kompas does not only appear with text, but
transform to digital and multimedia, such as news online (Kompas.com),
video (Kompas TV), pictures, graphic, and other multimedia platforms.
Kompas rely on the richness of content as one of media advantages.
Moreover, Kompas achieved some international awards, which one of
them is “Best in Digital Content-Cross Media Coverage” from WAN-IFRA in
2010, on the coverage “Jelajah Musi” which was published on three plaforms,
such as Kompas daily (newspapers), Kompas.com (online), and KompasTV
(video). The diversity of contents and multiplatforms show that Kompas has
applied the technology convergence to the business. Furthermore, Kompas
is preparing to be a media convergence, which is explained details in the
following sub-bab, from the strategy to the future plan.
62
4.2.2. Media Convergence
A media organization is said as a media convergence, when all parts
of media organization, such as newsrooms, professionals (journalists,
editors, staff), products, technology, and the environment in the media
combined and integrated as a collaborative structure.
“The phenomenon might be analyzed from four perspectives:
technological, management, communicative and professional, which are
intertwined in a media environment in continuous evolution (García Avilés, et
all, 2004, p.4)”.
Hence, to understand the convergence implementation in Kompas, I
will discuss three main parts in Kompas as news organization, from the
strategy, the condition and structure of the newsroom, the workflow of
journalists in adapting the convergence concept. Hereby, the strategy and
the reason behind the plan to be a media convergence.
4.3. Introducing “Three M” Toward The Media Convergence
In 2007, Kompas introduced “3M (Multimedia–Multichannel-
Multiplatform)” concept as a strategy in facing the change of the media trend
today, with the following explanation.
63
4.3.1. Multimedia
Reading Kompas is not just reading text in the newspapers. Thanks to
the technology today, that we find it with many formats, from graphics,
photographs, animation (by using Augmented Reality), video and audio from
Kompas TV, etc. The content is same, but it came with different variation
formats, which enrich the content of Kompas.
4.3.2. Multichannel
Since entering digital life, audiences find Kompas through the wire, 3G
wave, or sattelites. Yesterday, we just got Kompas from a handyman
paperboy or stores. Now, we don’t have to wait to get the information.
4.3.3. Multiplatform
Today, people consume news and information in various ways. In the
morning before we’re going to work, we read the newspapers. During the trip,
Source: Taslim, 2011
Figure 4.1. Kompas 3M Logo
64
we can open Blackberry. At the office, we may open the laptop or computer,
reading news online. To meet the needs of various audiences, Kompas
should transform itself into many platforms. According to Business General
Manager Edi Taslim, Kompas has become the most complete multiplatforms
news media in Indonesia.
“The concept of 3M was arised from a thought that the future, we need
to think effectively with limited resources, but could send the content that
reach audiences wider,“ said the Content Director General Manager
Kompas.com, Taufik H. Mihardja (personal interview, 23 June 2011). He
explained, the audiences in consuming news and information widened and
spread, especially youth and adolescents, who actively in social media.
Picture 4.1.
Kompas in multiplatforms, and has won a silver award winner as Asian Digital Media Award 2010 from WAN-IFRA
65
Moreover, the media lanscape has changed. Based on WAN IFRA,
there are eight ways, which Kompas is trying to apply some parts of them.
Table 4.1. The Trends of Media Industry
Source: World Digital Media Trends (WAN), Taslim, 2011
As Business General Manager of Kompas, Edi Taslim described, “We
believe that people could not be forced to read one medium only. They could
get news via sms, twitter, or facebook. Hence, Kompas should transform
itself into multiplatform, so it could be found everywhere. Therefore, it reach
all audiences. “How do we reach diverse people in each class. Like or not,
we should present as well ” (personal interview, 24 June 2011).
66
4.4. The Role of Newsroom Convergence
The role of newsroom is important for media organizations, because it
such a heart or nucleus of the organizations, where the news produced every
day in the newsroom. Besides it, the work flow of journalists, editors, and
members of media organizations occurs in the newsroom everyday.
Therefore, if organizations implement the new innovations, the largest impact
from whole of changes is the core (newsroom), which is a center of news
production and published.
Implementing the convergence concept in the newsroom means that
the organization has reached the full convergence as the whole parts.
However to implement it, is not an instant job, it takes some process that
need much planning and strategies.
The role of newsroom convergence is different than the common
newsroom. In the newsroom convergence, all members from all media
platforms are working together in gathering the information, data, reporting,
and producing the news for all media platforms. A high integration and
collaboration is very needed. Inside it, there might be the editors of print,
online, multimedia platforms, television, and other platforms.
67
A newsroom convergence is not only a place to produce news and
members gathering, but is “a center of knowledge management, where the
data-information-news- are gathered in the newsroom that can be used by
members such a source engine ” (paraphrased from Quinn, Steven, 2002).
Picture 4.2. Newsroom Convergence Model in Zurich
Source: WAN-IFRA Magazine, June 2011
In some giant media industries, the newsroom convergence has been
implemented, such as CNN newsroom, New York Times, Washington Post,
etc. Whereas, none of Indonesian media has implemented it, due to the lack
of skills, technology, and knowledge.
68
4.4.1. Toward The Newsroom Convergence
In the term of media convergence, integration involves the
management of the organization, such as newsroom management, staff
(including journalists), technology and operation. As Jane. B Singer (n.d.)
stated that “newsroom convergence—a combination of technologies,
products, staffs and geography among the previously distinct provinces of
print, television and online media—through the framework of diffusion of
innovations theory.”
Generally, media in Indonesia have not yet implemented the
convergence in newsroom, but some of them have planned the future
structure of the newsroom, include Kompas. Today, the newsrooms are still
separated between the print, online, and television. In Kompas, the
newsroom for print is located at the 3rd floor, the newsroom of Kompas.com
is located at the 5th floor. Meanwhile, the Kompas TV building is located near
the building of Kompas print and online.
To describe the changing of newsroom, here explain the position of
Kompas newsroom toward the convergence system. The picture is figured by
Pit Gottschalk, a former editor-in-chief of the German newspaper. He
evaluated and figured three types of newsroom as the result of his research
on newsrooms in Germany in the next page.
69
Figure 4.2. Three Types of Newsroom
Source: Pit Gottschalk, 2010.
Based on the picture, I analyzed that the newsroom at Kompas is
categorized as newsroom 2.0, which on the cross-media platforms stage.
There is no changing with layout or newsroom’s structure. However, it
consists a new multimedia section, which some editors and journalists
involve in making multimedia content.
Cross- media platforms occurs when a group of journalists or editors
from each media platform together to define, plan, decide which contents of
news would be effective for the news print, video, and other multimedia
platforms. From their decisions, the richness of contents are formed.
Audiences would get the same content in the print, as similar as news online,
video, and digital mobile platforms, but in the different format and platforms.
The content of news print, online, video, and mobile platforms relate
with each other, and support the news topic between each others, or
70
commonly said as ‘synergy’. The synergy in Kompas, between print-online-
video, is showed very strong in the cross content media, which we could see
in the following bracket:
Picture 4.3. Kompas performs in the same content, but different platforms.
Source: Kompas from multiplatforms, July 22, 2011
Different from the common newsroom, the structure or work flow in
the newsroom 2.0 is changing. Each section or desk (see Figure 4.3. &
Figure 4.4.) is responsible for gathering contents and send the content to
editors in each platforms, who responsible to select and decide types of
content that suitable for their platforms. Generally, every section will send the
Kompas newspaper Kompas TV
Kompas.com
71
news to the print editor and editor on-duty. The print editor is responsible for
editing the news for print. Editor on-duty is responsible for editing text of print
journalists for online contents (Kompas.com). The position or structure of
Editor on duty itself is in the Multimedia desk. However, for text and video
content in mobile platforms, will be taken by the editor in Multimedia Desk. In
the Figure 4.3. describes the work flow in Kompas Daily (print) newsroom,
based on the media platforms.
Figure 4.3. The Work Flow in the Print Newsroom
Source: Premier Observation, 2011
The Newsroom 2.0 is the on-going process of Kompas to change the
structure of traditional newsroom. However, in the future, the newsroom will
be developed to adjust the full convergence in the organization, especially
because the newsroom is the nucleus of the convergence process.
72
Figure 4.4. The Structure of Newsroom in Kompas (Newsroom 2.0)
Source: Primary Data, 2011
Newsroom 2.0 in Kompas’ newsroom structure, based on the Figure
4.4. described that the Editor in Chief Kompas leads two news platforms,
which are print and online (Kompas.com). The position of it has converged,
which controlled in one position. Another convergence impact is happened to
print journalists. They have to write for online, make a news video, and of
course write for print. Meanwhile, online journalists are still doing the news
coverage just for online.
73
Among editors, there is a multimedia desk, which consists multimedia
editor and editor on-duty, as a bridge between print to online and multimedia.
Besides it, according to the Managing Editor Kompas Budiman Tanuredjo,
Kompas has not applied yet single newsroom, but still separate in dual-
newsrooms (print and online), which in each newsroom, consists editors that
responsible for their own responsibilities.
However, to change the newsroom and going to be a convergence
need time. With the existence of Multimedia desk, it might develop the new
infrastructure and convergence level in the newsroom.
4.4.2. The Components of Newsroom
There are some components inside the newsroom, that influence a
change in the newsroom. The four components are the result of analysis by
Pit Gottschalk, a former editor-in-chief of the German newspaper “Sport-Bild”,
who developed an evaluation and measurement in some newsrooms in
Germant. Briefly, I use the four components to describe the condition in
Kompas’ newsrooms, especially the print newsroom today.
1. Culture – The management is trying to create a new routinity, to
change the mindset and paradigm of print journalists to online. From
my finding, it seems that some of them have realize that integrate with
74
online is important. However, to change the paradigm and mind set is
a difficult thing, because it must change the work culture in the print
newsroom that has been established for 46 years.
“Print is an arrogance platform. The tradition of print has formed for long time (46 years). Friends at Kompas print are familiar with text journalism and in-depth coverage. Then, when one platform (online) comes, concerns on the speed directly to ‘Blackberry journalism’, it could effect in conflict to online journalism”
(Budiman Tanuredjo, personnal interview, 26 September 2011)
2. Task – The print journalists are multitasking. Besides writing for print
and online, some of them operate the video for multimedia contents.
Writing for online is a compulsory to every print journalist today,
minimum one news for each day.
3. People – The skills and capability of each journalists are different. A
few of them have already operated the video, but not everyone is able
to do the multitask. Therefore, the management give some trainings
for journalists to increase their capabilities. The management optimists
if people or journalists, especially in the multimedia desk would
become agents of changes, who could influence the others.
4. Structure and systems – According to Pepih Nugraha, the ‘Online
First’ policy, originally came from the Commisioner President Kompas
Gramedia Group, Jakob Oetama in early January. Then, it comes
down from Editor in Chief and CEO, to the Managing Editors and
75
Editors (top-down management). The structure of the workflow is
slowly changing (see Figure 4.3. & Figure 4.4.).
4.4.3. Planning on the Future Newsroom
According to Taufik H. Mihardja, Kompas is going to prepare a ‘newsroom
bersama’ (read: The Together Newsroom) in July 2011. The newsroom will
gather editors from print, online, and television, which located on the third floor.
In November, the future newsroom will become the control center of
convergence, involves the representatives of Tribune editor, Warta Kota, and
other media brands and platforms, which included in Kompas Gramedia Group,
so that will enrich the content.
Pepih Nugraha, a senior journalist of Kompas daily, and also an editor in
Kompas.com, explained, the future newsroom will be comprised of a conductor,
Managing editors, Editors, and journalists who work in the field. This conductor
will command and determine which news will be posted in the media platforms.
The conductor will also ask the editor not to load the news, which has been in
the online. “Ideally, the structure will be like CNN newsroom,” he said (personal
interview, 24 June 2011).
76
4.5. Measuring The Convergence Model
To measure the parameter of convergence in the Kompas newsroom
and other platforms, I use some ways from the literature to gain the objective
parameter of the convergence model. First, I will use Convergence
Continuum Model. The parameter also could be measured with the
conceptual framework from the research explained in Chapter 2.
4.5.1. Convergence Continuum Model
The concept of Convergence Continuum Model is defined by Larry Dailey,
Lori Demo, Marry Spillman to assist the researcher in measuring the
parameter of convergence model, especially in the newsroom. The
conceptual framework identifies five level of activity among news
organizations (Dailey, Demo, and Spillman, 2003, p. 3). The 5C’s of
convergence – are- Cross Promotion, Cloning, Coopetition, Content Sharing,
and Full Convergence.
At the left end of the continuum, cross promotion level in which the least
amount of interaction and cooperation among members of the different news
organizations.Increasingly shifted to the right shows the interaction and
collaboration among members are increasingly strong relations between
media platforms. At the final or the right end of the continuum, the newsroom
77
become full convergence. “The common goal is to use the strengths of the
different media to tell the story in the most effective way,” (Dailey, Demo,
Spillman, 2003, p. 5). To see the more details about The Continuum Model,
please read Chapter 2, page 27-29.
Figure 4.5. Convergence Continuum Model
Source: Dailey, Demo, & Spillman, 2003
Adjusting the types behavior performed by members in Kompas
newsroom, I consider that Kompas is in the middle of content sharing and
convergence level.
Based on the research, Dailey and others stated that content sharing
level occurs when ”a media outlet regularly (but not always) shares
information gathered by its cross-media partner and publishes it after it has
been repackaged by the organization’s staff members.In general, however,
the news organizations produce their own stories without helping each other”
(Dailey, Demo, & Spillman, 2003, p.5).
78
At the full convergence level, members of each media platforms
cooperate in gathering and disseminating news. Hybrid teams of journalists
work together in gathering, planning, reporting the stories, and deciding
which part of stories that suitable in print, television, online, or digital.
Kompas places between these two levels (content sharing-full
convergence), because the editors of each platforms has regularly meet up
to plan, gather, and decide the stories, whether on special projects or
analysis, to decide which parts is effective on the print, online, video, or
digital. A though and idea to form hybrid team of journalists has appear. A
multimedia desk form as the pioneer toward the covergence. They are
prepared to produce news in multimedia content.
To reach a full convergence, the structure of newsroom and job
descriptions for editors are need to be restructured and redefined. Infact,
Kompas is on the progress to find the suitable business strategy for Kompas
newsroom model.
4.5.2. Boundaries Convergence Level
The Boundaries Convergence Level assists the researcher to
understand the step or level the organization takes part for being
convergence. The boundaries consist on three theories, such as Diffusion of
79
Innovation, Change Management, and Adaptative Stucturation Theory.
Outside the boundaries, describe the environment around the media, which
affect the organization. The largest boundary is the first part which is touched
or reached in dealing the changing. The smaller the circle indicates the
deeper the implementation of innovation, until the small part of newsroom.
The first or largest boundary, Diffusion of Innovation Theory consists
of five levels, such as Agenda Setting, Matching, Redefining and
Restructuring, Clarifying, and Routinizing. It is a beginning step of
organization which realizes with the technology and plans to implement the
innovation.
Kompas entered the Agenda Setting Level, when the organization has
recognized and entered the new media since 1997, namely as Kompas
online. At that time, Kompas Online was just an internet edition from Kompas
Daily (newspapers), without established any business unit.
However, it reached the “Matching Stage”, after Kompas had
developed the online division with staff and resources, by separating it as a
new business unit, as PT. Kompas Cyber Media or well-known as
Kompas.com in 1998. It was developed in the new content and marketing
strategies, which made Kompas.com ranked 14th as the top sites in
Indonesia (based on Alexa.com, July 2011). Another advantage that owned
80
by Kompas.com is the variations and richness of contents. The news not only
come from the online journalists, but also take from other journalist platforms
( Kompas daily, Kontan, Tribun news, and Kompasiana).
Stepping the level of “ Redefining and Restructuring”, it also enter the
second boundary, namely as Change Management Theory. In this level or
boundary, Kompas (read: the organization) made some changes or
restructure in the organization, include management system and resources.
For instance, Kompas.com decreases its need for online journalists, which
the need actually could be fulfill or changed with the other platforms
journalists. Furthermore, Kompas has applied some economic used online,
such as free content relying on advertising (Kompas.com), paid subsccription
(Kompas epaper). Kompas is trying to find the best suitable business in
changing the management.
On this level, also meet the Change Management Theory, which
consist of Operational changes, Technological changes, Changing the
attitudes and behaviors of personnel. Operational means the structure of
journalists workflow and the changes of newsroom in Kompas, even it just
small changes. Technological changes indicates the technology system in
the newsroom and journalists work flow. Kompas applies multimedia and
multiplatforms for the strategy to approach diversity of audiences, which need
sophisticated technology systems. The most important thing is to change the
81
attitude and mindset of journalists. Same with other institutions or
organizations, the management find that changing the attitudes of print
journalists are hard, because the habit has been formed since 46 years ago.
Kompas enters the Clarifying stage when the innovation becomes
clear both in the organization structure and editorial staff in Kompas
Gramedia Group (media platforms). Print journalists are trained to handle the
video camera. Others are trained in the online newsroom to learn the process
of news flow in Kompas.com. Moreover, some of them are placed in the
multimedia desk to handle the multimedia content, instead of making print
articles such other journalists.
Routinizing indicates the innovation has become a regular part of
regular activities in the media organizations. Kompas Gramedia Group
continues to develop the strategy for the future. The Routinizing level is seen
when the print journalists routinely produce other news for other news
outlets, besides the newspapers.
Since August 2011, the management set a new policy for print
journalists, by determine twenty percent (20%) of the Key Performance
Indicator is journalist’s contribution for online news. Moreover, the
management rewards IDR 15,000 for each news. The new policy is expected
to create the routinization of the work flow in the newsroom.
82
In terms of policy implementation, Kompas seems to have been
applying the policy as a routine in work and activities of journalists and some
editors. However, it takes time to design the new structure of newsroom and
unify the work system between print, online, and television. As today, not
every editor in the print, has the same responsiblity like in the multimedia
desk and editor on duty.
Routinizing is the last stage in Diffusion of Innovation Theory which
also places on Change Management and Adaptative Structuration
boundaries.
However Kompas has not entered the newsroom convergence yet.
The newsroom is still separated each other, the management keep trying to
find the suitable strategy to restructure the newsroom and manage the staff,
Figure 4.6. Kompas Position from The Conceptual Framework View Source: Primary Data, 2011
83
especially journalists, so that the mindset and paradigm of them are thinking
for the future of the media industry.
4.6. Observing The Journalists’ Attitudes & Mindset in The
Convergence Implementation
On the Friday afternoon (24/11), when I was in the newsroom
Kompas.com, some journalists from Kompas daily came and sat next to an
editor and senior journalist, Pepih Nugraha. They came to ask about the use
of CMS and how to send the raw information (news) to online. With patient,
Pepih explained to them step by step.
I came and approached them. One the three journalists shared her
opinion about the ‘online first’ policy. According to her, the policy, which
regards to Key Performance Indicator (KPI), has pushed them to do an extra
work, so they can fulfill the 20% of KPI. “Like or not, we have to follow the
rule, if we don’t want our KPI cut off,” she said. She continued, before the
policy exist, print journalists have much free time to submitt the stories, but
today they need to compete with time, for contribute in online too.
“At the beginning, some were surprised with the policy. Another get a
crank, but still worked. For me, I was surprised, because the nature of news
print and online are different,” said another print journalist, Didit Putra
84
Erlangga who has written for online during these two years (personal
interview, 23 July 2011).
Meanwhile, the Content Director General Manager Taufik H. Mihardja
and a Pepih Nugraha admitted, to change the mindset and paradigm is the
most difficult part of running a change, rather than applying the new
technology into the organization itself.
“Print is like an arogancy platform”, said the Managing Editor Kompas
Budiman Tanuredjo (personal interview, 26 September 2011). “In print which
already 46 years, they (journalists) were educated to be print employees,
which make it as a stumbling block,” said Taufik.
The condition at the field may be able to describe about how print
journalists adapt with changes. With the new policy, they must race with time
in sending news online. Unfortunately, their mindset is still concern on “to
send the news quickly and publish to online”, but they less concerned with
how to maintain and make good quality of online news.
Kompas has applied some ways during the last two or three years, to
make the print journalists write the articles for online. Initially, the
management asked print journalists to write in online, without coercion.
Another way, by giving a reward for them who have shared news to online,
85
one news worth for IDR 5,000 (IDR 15,000 on August 2011). However, these
ways are less response.
In the end, it was decided a policy, which 20% of KPI assessment is
scored from their contributions to Kompas.com. Each print journalist must
write minimum one to two news each day or 60 news in a month (depend on
each section). If less than that, they can’t fulfill the 20%. Determination of this
policy seems quite managed to make journalists writing in online.
Taufik H. Mihardja said that Kompas has prepared the journalists by
giving training, to have multi-tasking skills. “It has been seventh batch of
journalists that were trained to Puskat (The Training and Education Center) in
Jogjakarta, to learn how to use the camera. Some of online journalists have
already capable to upload the video,” he said.
In addition, Edi Taslim added, there is rotation for a number of
journalists assigned to Kompas.com in several months. They will learn the
subsequently affect others in print. Meanwhile, there’s also some workshops,
such WAN-IFRA, which good to be learned.
At the future, every journalist is required not only capable to write in
print or online, but they would make the news video and audio for radio. For
example, the print journalist named Gatot, who has covered a World Cup in
86
Africa in 2010. He did news coverage, not only for print, but also reported the
news to radio. “In essence, we won’t only empower the content, but also
maximize our journalists,” said the Business General Manager Kompas.com,
Edi Taslim.
4.7. The Effect of Management Changes on News Coverage
The changes that occur in the structure and workflow of print
journalists in the news coverage, can affect the work process of journalists in
the field and editors in the newsroom. In one event, The print journalists and
online journalists are sometimes in one place simultaneously.
This seems less efficient in the presence of two journalists in one
event. “In the early stages, there was a double sending (print and online were
going together). However, it needs time and adaptation,” Budiman Tanuredjo
said (personal interview, 26 September 2011).
An online journalist shared her experience when doing the covered
news with another print journalist. At the beginning, she has missed
alignment with the print journalist, because of the unclear policy. Print
journalists used to wrote online news depend on the availability and the
speed of online journalists in the same area. “If there was an online journalist
87
and had made the news before the print did, print journalists would not send
the news to online,” the online journalist.
After the new policy has been set, every print journalist is forced to
make online news. In this situation, print and online journalists should have to
work together and conduct a better coordination between them, regards the
news agenda and content.
In fact, not all journalists conduct good coordination among them.
Based on the online journalist’s experience, by the establishing of the new
policy, the print journalists had to send news for online as fast as they got the
information at that moment. For them (print), the information deserved to be
published even it still raw materials. However, for online journalists and their
editors, the information need to be re-checked the validity. Therefore, the
news online, which published from editor on duty (print editor for online
content) often come up with different expectation of the online division.
It also impact to the quality of online news in Kompas.com. The
journalists and editors in online feel if the quality of online news become
decrease than before, due to the different characters of writing between
online and print. However, the online journalists only lamented because the
policy came from the management above.
88
Moreover, the changes affect to the news work flow in the newsroom.
Because of the lack of coordination between the editor on duty (print
newsroom) and online editor (online newsroom), somehow the news from
both, were published in same content at the nearly time. Therefore, the editor
on duty and online editor, should monitor every news that comes to CMS and
has appeared in online, so it would not be a double news.
From some description above, it seems that the changes occuring in
the organizational structure and workflow in Kompas newsroom, is still lack of
synergy between online and print in term of efficiency resources, especially
among journalists, editors, and the newsroom. This is naturally happened to
company, which is getting changes, and finding the suitable way to change.
“It is not easy, there should be a single newsroom. Today, Kompas is
preparing and it takes time to be a pioneer in these changes. “ Budi T. said.
The condition and changes happened in Kompas should be taken as a
learning point for Indonesian media industries, to prepare the changes well.
Kompas should coordinate the production management properly, in order to
minimize the ‘double news’ in the production. Moreover, Kompas should put
together all editors of print, online, and others news platforms in a single
newsroom, therefore they could coordinate and manage the news production
and work flow in every business units in a better way.
89
4.8. Constructing the Knowledge Management in the Newsroom
The convergence in the newsroom not only brings together the
editors, journalists, contents from multi-platforms in one single newsroom. It
also creates a smart newsroom.
In his book, Stephen Quinn defines smart in three meaning. One of
them is “knowledge management processes can improve the newsgathering
process through smarter use of information.” (Quinn, 2005, p.153).
According to Karl-Erik Sveiby, who runs the consultant company,
Sveiby Knowledge Management in Australia described, knowledge
management as “the art of creating value by leveraging an organization’s
intagible assets” (Quinn, 2005, p.156).
“Knowledge management was vital for implementing the kind of
newsroom needed for doing multi-platform journalism,” Kerry Northrup said in
1999, as the executive director of Ifra’s Center for Advanced News
Operations in the seminar “the Battle of newsroom’s mindset”. According to
him, knowledge management could be an investment for newsroom. (Quinn,
2005, p.156)
90
Meanwhile, Budiman Tanuredjo said, Kompas has prepared the
infrastructure of Kompas Gramedia (KG) Wire, as the network that
accomodates contents for all Kompas Gramedia units, from print and online,
so its existence will be more extensive. The researcher itself presumes if KG
wire would be the knowledge-based newsroom, that provide all the content
and information, which useful for the editorial and journalists. KG wire might
be a long investment or intagible asset of Kompas in the future. However, to
develop the knowledge management, it needs to change the mindset and
attitudes of journalists and people in the newsroom.
4.9. The Agent of Change Among Journalists
To support the realization of the paradigm changing and mindset of
journalists, the management expects the emergence of agents of change in
Kompas newsroom. According to Edi Taslim, a multimedia desk is a way,
where journalists had been appointed as agents of change in the editorial.
These people will influence other journalists, by changing a way of working,
mindset, etc.
A multimedia desk is established in January 2010, in Kompas daily
newsroom, and responsible in making for multimedia contents, except for
print. There are 12 items, that the desk focus on, such as Blackberry
91
Playbook, Kompas iPad, Twitter, Facebook, Dakode, Samsung Galaxy Tab,
Android, iPhone & iTouch.
This desk consisted of nine layout designers, four editors and two
journalists, who used to be worked in print editorial. These men behind the
desk used to be print journalists, who finally were chosen to handle the new
things. As an explanation from the Deputy Head of the Multimedia Desk,
Tjahja Gunawan. For him, working in this desk is very challenging and
attractive, because he could learn something new, rather than his tasked on
economic desk (personal interview, 27 July 2011).
Tjahja said, changing mindset is a difficult thing. He seen it from his
fellow journalists. “It is not yet fully accepted, perhaps at the beginning, there
was resistance, but it takes time,” continued him.
Picture 4.2. Designing for multimedia content, to make it more interactive
92
However, in some people, he added, their skills and desires have
been seen. Now, print journalists are multitasking. Besides writing for print
and online, some of them could made video coverage by themselves.
However, not all of journalists could do the same. Commonly, it would be
easier to do in-depth news, rather than hard news character.
4.10. Featuring Kompas as A News Brand
“We’re still creating and formulating the business model. The result of
digital content is still small and tend to be free. Meanwhile, for print still
large,” said Taufik when was asked on the new business model for Kompas.
In the future, Kompas will appear as a news brand. “Kompas is a
newspaper, but not a paper company. We are a news company. As a brand,
Kompas could be as newspapers, television, online, or digital. Going forward,
we certainly strengthened, we will explore every new medium,” said Taslim.
Hence, he continued, Kompas always comes on the first line in
adopting the technology. He believes that technology should be embraced,
not feared. “The technology is actually helping us. When we launched
Kompas e-paper, we got worried that it would threaten our print, due to the
same contents. Infact, it just added more readers,” he added.
93
Kompas might become a pioneer media in Indonesia toward the
convergence. It might one more step forward, rather than other media
industry. Moreover, Kompas has showed, by integrating with technology, the
news print media won’t die, but reformulate as the media trend at the time.
4.11. Theoretical Analysis
The theoretical analysis is aimed to analyze the convergence
implementation in Kompas newsroom by using three theories from the
conceptual framework. The conceptual framework consist on three theories,
such as Diffusion of Innovation, Change Management, and Adaptative
Stucturation Theory. Outside boundaries, placed the environment around the
media, which affect the organization. The largest boundary is the first part
which is touched or reached in dealing the changing. The smaller the circle
indicates the deeper the implementation of innovation, until the small part of
newsroom.
The first or largest boundary, Diffusion of Innovation Theory consists
of five levels, such as Agenda Setting, Matching, Redefining and
Restructuring, Clarifying, Routinizing. It is a beginning step of organization
which realizes with the technology and plans to implement the innovation.
Kompas entered the Agenda Setting Level, when the organization has
recognized and entered the new media since 1997, namely as Kompas
94
online. At that time, Kompas Online was just an internet edition from Kompas
Daily (newspapers), without established any business unit.
However, it reached the “Matching Stage”, after Kompas had
developed the online division with staff and resources, by separating it as a
new business unit, as PT. Kompas Cyber Media or well-known as
Kompas.com in 1998. It was developed in the new content and marketing
strategies, which made Kompas.com ranked 14th as the top sites in
Indonesia (based on Alexa.com, July 2011). Another advantage that owned
by Kompas.com is the variations and richness of contents. The news not only
come from the online journalists, but also take from other journalist platforms
( Kompas daily, Kontan, Tribun news, and Kompasiana).
Stepping the level of “ Redefining and Restructuring”, it also enter the
second boundary, namely as Change Management Theory. In this level or
boundary, Kompas (read: the organization) made some changes or
restructure in the organization, include management system and resources.
For instance, Kompas.com decreases its need for online journalists, which
the need actually could be fulfill or changed with the other platforms
journalists. Furthermore, Kompas has applied some economic used online,
such as free content relying on advertising (Kompas.com), paid subsccription
(Kompas epaper). Kompas is trying to find the best suitable business in
changing the management.
95
On this level, also meet the Change Management Theory, which
consist of Operational changes, Technological changes, Changing the
attitudes and behaviors of personnel. Operational means the structure of
journalists workflow and the changes of newsroom in Kompas, even it just
small changes. Technological changes indicates the technology system in
the newsroom and journalists work flow. Kompas applies multimedia and
multiplatforms for the strategy to approach diversity of audiences, which need
sophisticated technology systems. The most important thing is to change the
attitude and mimdset of journalists. Same with other institutions or
organizations, the management find that changing the attitudes of print
journalists are hard, because the habit has been formed since 46 years ago.
Kompas enters the Clarifying stage when the innovation becomes
clear both in the organization structure and editorial staff in Kompas
Gramedia Group (media platforms). Print journalists are trained to handle the
video camera. Others are trained in the online newsroom to learn the process
of news flow in Kompas.com. Moreover, some of them are placed in the
multimedia desk to handle the multimedia content, instead of making print
articles such other journalists.
Routinizing indicates the innovation has become a regular part of
regular activities in the media organizations. Kompas Gramedia Group
continues to develop the strategy for the future. The Routinizing level is seen
96
when the print journalists routinely produce other news for other news
outlets, besides the newspapers. Since August 2011, Kompas management
set a new policy for print journalists, in which they have to contribute for
online as 20% of their Key Performance Indicator, which significant for them.
Moreover, the management rewards IDR 15,000 for each news is made.
The new policy is expected to create the routinization of the work flow in the
newsroom. Routinizing is the last stage in Diffusion of Innovation Theory
which also places on Change Management and Adaptative Structuration
boundaries.
However Kompas has not entered the newsroom convergence yet.
The newsroom is still separated each other, the management keep trying to
find the suitable strategy to restructure the newsroom and manage the staff,
Figure 4.6. Kompas Position from The Conceptual Framework View Source: Primary Data, 2011
97
especially journalists, so that the mindset and paradigm of them are thinking
for the future of the media industry.
To reach the level, Kompas management admitted that they need time
and it was a continue process. However, they are optimist that the pioneer or
agent of changes would appear from the internal (print journalists).
From the conceptual framework above (Figure 4.6.), Kompas level of
convergence is on the stage of Routinizing, enters the Change Management
Boundary and begins to reach the Adaptative Structuration Theory. The
progress in the Change Management is still working, due to the new role of
journalists and the newsroom work flow.
References: Anderson, Chris. (2008). The Long Tail: Longer (New Chapter: The Long Tail
of Marketing). USA: International and Pan–American. Anderson, Chris & Michael Wolff. (2010, August 17). The Web Is Dead. Long
Live The Internet. Retrieved from: http://www.wired.com/ Appelgren, Ester. (2004). Convergence and Divergence Media: Different
Perspectives. 8th ICCC International Conference on Electronic Publishing (p.237-248). Brasilia –DF, Brazil.
Aviles, J.G., Kaltenbrunner,A., Kraus,D., Meier,K., Carvajal,M. (2008).
Newsroom Convergence: A Transnational Comparison. Germany: Medienhaus Wien.
Berg, Bruce.L. (2001). Qualitative Research Methods For The Social
Sciences. 4th edition. USA: A Pearson Education Company. Converge. (n.d). In Wiktionary. Retrieved from March 11, 2011, from
http://en/wiktionary.org/wiki/convergere. Dailey, Larry , Lori Demo, & Mary Spillman.(2003).The Convergence
Continuum: A Model for Studying Collaboration Between Media Newsrooms. Kansas City, Missouri. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Darshana, Sedera & Zakaria, Nor Hidayati. (n.d.). Adaptative Structuration
Theory View of Post Implementation Knowledge Management For Enterprise Systems. Retrieved from: http://www.pacis-net.org/file/2008/PACIS2008_Camera-Ready_Paper_179.pdf
Daymon, Christine & Immi Holloway.(2002).Qualitative Research Methods in
Public Relations and Marketing Communications. London: Routledge. DeSanctis, Gerardine & Marshall Scott Pool. (1994). Capturing the
Complexity in Advanced Technology Use: Adaptive Structuration Theory. Organization Science, 5 ( 2), 121-147.
Eisy, Ridlo. (2009, 30 July). Masa Depan Media Cetak di Indonesia.
Retrieved from [blog]: http://ridloeisy.blogspot.com/2009/04/masa-depan-media-cetak-di-indonesia.html
Fry, Jason. (2009, 2 April). A Digital-Age Editor’s Lament. Retrieved from
[blog]:http://reinventingthenewsroom.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/a-digital-age-editors-lament/
Garrison,Bruce & Michael Dupagne. (2003). A Case Study of Media Convergence At Media General’s Tampa News Center. Expanding Convergence: Media Use in a Changing Information Environment Conference. Columbia, USA: University of South Carolina.
Gottschalk, Pit. (2010, December 13). 65 Percent Convergence in German
Newsrooms. Retrieved from http://www.pitgottschalk.com/2010/12/65- percent-convergence-in-german.html.
Hiatt, Jeff. (n.d). The Definition and History of Change Management.
Retrieved from : http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-definition-history.htm.
Jenkins, Henry. (2001, June). Convergence? I Diverge. Retrieved from
http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/converge.pdf Jenkins, Herry. (2004). The cultural logic of media convergence. Cultural
Studies, 7(1), 33-43. Keegan, Sheila. (2009). Qualitative research : Good Decision Making
Through Understanding People, Cultures And Markets. London: Kogan Page.
Kompas (surat kabar). (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 11, 2011, from
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kompas_surat_kabar Kompas Gramedia. (n.d.). History. Retrieved from
http://www.kompasgramedia.com/aboutkg/history. Kung, et.al. (1999). Impact of The Digital Revolution On The Media And
Communications Industries.The Public, 6(3), 29-48. Lawson-Borders, Gracie. (2006). Media Organizations and Convergence:
Case Studies of Media Convergence Pioneer. USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Maruli, Aditia. (2010, September 6). Indonesia Urutan Lima Besar Pengguna
Internet. Retrieved from: http://www.antaranews.com/ Pool, Ithiel de Sola. (1983). Technologies of Freedom. Cambridge: Harvard
University Press. Quinn, Steven. (2002). Knowledge Management in the Newsroom. Oxford:
Focal Press. Quinn, Steven. (2005). Convergence Journalism: The Fundamental of
Multimedia Reporting. New York: Peter Lang Inc.
Ritchie, Jane & Jane Lewis. (2003). Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. London: Sage Publications.
Rogers, Everett.M. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations: Fourth Edition. New
York: The Free Press. Schantin, Dietmar (2010, October 06). Benchmark Convergence,
Newsroom’s CTSP Degree. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.pit-gottschalk.com/2010/10/benchmark-convergence-newsrooms-ctsp.html
Schantin, Dietmar (2010, August 08-09). Benchmarking Newsroom
Convergence: A Framework to Evaluate and Plan Convergence. Paper presented at the WAN-IFRA Newsplex Forum.Kuala Kumpur, Malaysia.
Singer, Jane B. (n.d.). Strange Bedfellows? The Diffusion of Convergence in
Four News Organizations. Retrieved from http://works.bepress.com/ jane_singer/14/.
Smith, Lyn.( 2005). Effective Internal Communication. London: Kogan Page.
Taslim, Edi. (2011, June 24). Kompas MMM. [Presentation]. The Economist. (2006). Who Killed The Newspaper? Retrieved from
http://www.economist.com/ Turow, Joseph.(2009). Media Today: An Introduction to Mass
Communication.3rd Edition. New York: Routledge. Wahono, Tri. (2010, November 24). “Kompas” Raih Tiga Penghargaan
Internasional. Retrieved from http://tekno.kompas.com/ Zhang, Yuyan Ernest. (2008). Examining Media Convergence: Does It
Converge Good Journalism, Economic Synergies, and Competitive Advantages? (Doctoral Dissertation). Columbia: The Faculty of the Graduate School at University of Missouri.
(n.s.). (May/June 2011). A Newsroom Project Is Never Simply Finished.
Retrieved from: WAN-IFRA MAGAZINE: http://epaper.wan-ifra.org/2011_0506_en/#/0/
attachment I personal interviewon 23 July 2011
T a u fi k H . M i h a r d j a
The content is not just text. Nowadays, peoiple can visualize, that the content does not only print, video, and
graphics. The concept that we use is the “Three M”- Multimedia, Multichannel, Multipaltform. Multimedia,
as I said that the content is not only text, but also graphic, video, photos. Multichannel – Kompas enters the
new channel. Multiplatform – Kompas appears as a newspapers, television, radio, news online.
Chief Editor Deputy of Kompas
Executive Director Kompas.com
News Director Kompas TV
C: Why Kompas would like to implement the media convergence?
T: Starting from the premis that it the future, we have to think effectively with
limited resources, but could send content, that reach wider audiences.
Print is said increasingly going down, so what we should do, is maintaining our
brand to the audience aware of the technology. With the same content, we
deliver to them. However, audiences are still limited because of the number
and capabilities of the internet is difficult and not yet accessible to all areas. In
addition, we use other mass channels, which is television. Therefore, the same
content could be accessed via all platforms, or it is said ‘one production for all
delivery system.’
The concept of convergence is implemented, is to utilize Kompas brand to anticipate the public interest to
information. ‘Three M’ because the audiences of Kompas is widening and spreading. The content is same,
but the delivery system and it polish differently.
C: Does the newsroom implement the convergence?T: In July 2011, our company will plan to build the ‘together newsroom’, where consists editors of print, online, and tv at the third floor. Perhaps, in the next November, it will become the control centre of convergence. In some projects, the reporters from each plaform cover the news together, or just one of them who represent others. There will be two ways, because it is not easy to find a multiskill journalist, who could write for online and print. Some of them have capable, such as Gatot, a print journalist, who covered a World Cup in Africa in the previous. He’s not just write for print, but also report for radio.
In the September, Kompas is going to prepare for the infrastructure, so the convergence through KG (Kompas Grame-dia) wire, the reporters are placed at KG wire, the future newsroom, and all of the content will be converged. Each work, sharing ideas, sharing resources.
C: Does Kompas have a media benchmark for the references?T: We see Telegraph and nytimes.com as the benchmark. Espe-cially, when the Telegraph implemented convergence activities in totality. From the new building, people moved to the new place and experienced the new setting. They develop the online unit, sharing information, and have a supreme leader on it.
C: What is the difficult thing faced on Kompas to be a media convergence?T: Changing the mindset is the hardest thing that we’ve faced. Changing the culture from print to online journalits. The char-acter of print has been made already for 46 years old. They are educated to be print employees, which it’s made a ‘stumbling block’. Therefore, there must be some internal champions, to spread the influence, that we can change as long as we want.
Meanwhile the New York Times has also created a digital leader, a new structure, and a Digital Deputy Editor in Chief. Then, Kompas creates multimedia. Multimedia is aimed to bridge the digital management of content. There is a special division that will melt.
C: What will be the planning ahead?T: Compass multimedia desk and the editors will be one produc-tion for all. In WAN-IFRA there are 7 media world trend:1. Content media now no longer controlled the shareholders.2. First mass advertising, now customize.3. One is content for one production.4. One is content for all: these points are applied in Kompas.
attachment II personal interviewon 24 July 2011
P e p i h N u g r a h a
The Commander will give the command for anyone (journalists) to cover the news. He also would ask editors,
not to display the same news that has been in online. For example, a plane crash, in the newspaper, the news
is not displayed the same content with online, but should be more detailed analysis.
C: How far Kompas implement the convergence in the company?
P: In Kompas, there’s an existing desk for supporting the convergence, called a
multimedia desk. A multimedia desk is responsible to fill out the content in the
multimedia. For example, they produce videos, contents for QR code,
Augmented Reality, and other contents in iPad. One thing that we’re going to set
up a together (convergence) newsroom. We try to make the structure and the
layout of newsroom, that would exists one Commandor, Managing Editor,
editors, and journalists. Senior Journalists KompasEditor Kompas.com
Hence, what is called multimedia in same contents is, the medium can be different, but the content is same, and leaded by the same conductor. It is also called a convergence process, when he manages, directs every news platforms in one newsroom, such online, television, radio, and also print.
Kompas is also entering to the new application world. We review from the analysis of Philip Meyer: The Death of Newspaper. Anderson: The Web is Dead, Long Live Internet. Kompas that you got from the multime-dia platforms is named as an application.
C: What would be the newsroom in the future? P: The circle consists of Editors, Managing Editors, and Editor in Chief. If we see from the picture, they are online journalists. From my opinion, this picture would be the ideal one. The structure may such a CNN newsroom (he showed the picture of some newsroom). There also giants screening to monitor the news flow.
If I were in the Training Development Department, I would recruit the journalists, who were active in social media, at least they have a blog. If they pass, I will send them to the field, to write for online. In the past, they were training to write news for newspaper, not online. Hence, today, it’s difficult to change their paradigm to be online. They don’t get the feeling on it.
C: Does Kompas apply some rules or policies in order to do changes? P: They (journalists) have to be induced mandatory - 20% of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is contributed for online. Eventually they had to write to fulfill the 20% scored. Like or not, they should jump over. Before the policy went, the management had implemented a reward, IDR 5000 for each news that sent to online. However, it didn’t effective. By the 20% policy , a journalist have to send the news minimum two news in a day, or 60 news for a month.
In last January, Mr. Jakob Oetama (the founder of Kompas Gramedia) has declared a statement, "Online First". Then, it was translated by the Editor in Chief, Managing Editor and editors.
C: How Kompas maintain the credibility and existency among the media competition?P: The credibility of Kompas still awake. In Alexa, for instance, The credibility of Kompas is still maintained. In Alexa, for instance, Kompas.com rank 13 in Indonesia. However ,we have to change the paradigm, our minds, and action.
A newsroom convergence
source: editorsweblog.com
attachment III personal interviewon 24 July 2011
E d i T a s l i m
C: What is the background of Kompas to be a convergence?
E: In 2007, a strategy called ,‘Three M’- Multi Media- MultiChannel –
Multiplatform launched.
The strategy is based on how Kompas doesn’t make content for print, but
also photos, videos, and audios, so the media has become multi-. The
content we send in may channels, not just in physic (newspaper agent or
books stores), but today from digital channel, such 3G networks, internet
system. Audiences also access from blackberry, iPhone, iPad, notebook,
and others, which called as multiplatform.
Vice Business Director Kompas Business GM Kompas.com
The convergence surely changes the operational. The journalist can’t use old ways. The content used to be sent in the evening, but today, what is the event, and should send the news at that time.
However there are differences between characters of news in each media. The character of online is hard, direct , and need quickness, so it cannot implement in print. Meanwhile, in print, the news is more analyzed and deeper. Therefore, it depends on the level of news
Moreover, the production become the key factor on 3M. How to package Kompas in multiplatform. For instance, how to display content in Nokia or Blackberry. Each platform has different system and characters. Kompas is the most available media in every platforms, such iPad, and playbook. In iPad itself, we got an award in Asia, because of the richness of content.
C: How the convergence process in the newsroom? E: In the newsroom, we made a special department for multimedia, called a multimedia desk. In the future, a multimedia desk is a desk which would be an agent of change. Some of journalists and editors are placed in the desk, then we give a responsibility to them as agents of change in the editorial. They produce the multimedia content for multimedia platforms, which are assisted by layout designer.
C: The circulation of newspaper is going down, and even bankcrupt. Does it happen to Kompas?E: Asia is different, the circulation of Kompas is stagnant, not go down, but it grow slowly since 1995. Many factors affect, such as a digital become the alternative, a reader literacy in Indonesia. However, the newspaper is still growing in Indonesia.
C: How much the budget that spent to prepare the convergence organization? E: We have no exact number of fund. The process just flows. From 1998, Kompas Cyber Media, a subsidiary of Kompas daily, was established. In 2007, a Multimedia desk was built. The expensive thing is not the infrastruc-ture, but the process in the changing.
C: How to implement the convergence in media? E: - We give training to print journalists conti-nously. Such a video training, so a journalist doesn’t only able to write, but also take photo-graph, and make video. For example, in World Cup Africa 2010, the journalist didn’t just write for print, but he reported vith voice. - By influence to others. Some of journalists and editors are placed at Kompas..com, learn online news. During three months, they will be rotated, and changed with others. Moreover, we socialize the ‘Three M’, and some games related the sociali-zation program. We also present some events and seminars from WAN-IFRA to gain our knowledges.
C: What is the future planning for Kompas toward the media convergence? E: The point is, how we empower all the content in Kompas, our journalists. Kompas today is not just a newspaper, but Kompas is a brand, could be in paper, television, online, and digital. In the future, we surely strength our capability, by generating all the new technology. Therefore, Kompas is always become the first in adopting the technology. We believe, technology is some-thing that we have to embrace, not to be scared. When we launched Kompas epaper, we had worried if it may be threatened the print, because the content is same.
This desk is a kind of small silo, but the objective is to influence all journalists to do the same things as they do today. We won’t call them print journalists, or online, or tv reporters, but in the next, we will call them multimedia journalists. However, it is a continuous process, never ending.