Journalistic Ideology. Professional Strategy, Institutional Authority and Boundary Maintenance in the Digital News Market

Abstract

Journalistic ideology is an enduring feature of professional life that is frequently mobilised to serve a boundary maintaining function. This dissertation examines how journalistic ideology is mobilised when the profession is met by exogenous forces that challenge journalistic authority, primarily by looking at how the Norwegian commercial public service broadcaster TV 2 engages journalistic ideology as part of its news market strategies. Examined hereunder is the branding effect of the traditional hard news ideology in the launch of TV 2 News Channel; the efficacy of narrative strategies and journalistic methodology in mainstream media's encounters with amateur contributions; and the application of the public service ideal in the renegotiation to sustain TV 2 as a publically licensed broadcaster. Fundamental to journalistic ideology and its mobilisation in these encounters is the concept of a social contract operating as the driving force behind professional strategies. These issues are further contextualised within Anthony Giddens' concept of the duality of structure to illustrate the recursive nature of journalistic ideology for the maintenance of professional boundaries. Journalistic ideology consequently emerges as the news media rule system, where ideology constitutes an expression of agency as much as it entails a structuring force. This thesis presents quantitative and qualitative research conveying how journalistic ideology serves the authority of the institution and the strategies of professionalism. The result is a conceptualisation of journalistic ideology that contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the function of ideology for the journalistic profession.