“Pivoting to Instability”: Metajournalistic Discourse, Reflexivity and the Economics and Effects of a Shrinking Industry

Authors

  • Patrick Ferrucci University of Colorado-Boulder
  • Michelle Rossi University of Colorado-Boulder

Keywords:

business of journalism, media economics, metajournalistic discourse, journalism studies, media sociology

Abstract

Since 2007, the field of journalism in the United States experienced what some might call a consistent and never-ending stream of layoffs. While research in journalism studies attempts to explain this labor precarity, this study uses metajournalistic discourse to understand how the field itself explains the reasons behind layoffs and the effects they have. This study found that while the industry acknowledges that layoffs negatively affect the quality of news, it lacks any semblance of reflexivity through blaming all financial issues facing the field on factors outside of journalism. The article ends by theorizing what this means for the practice moving forward, and how a lack of reflexivity potentially makes it significantly difficult for journalists to improve practice.

Author Biographies

Patrick Ferrucci, University of Colorado-Boulder

Patrick Ferrucci (PhD, University of Missouri) is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism in the College of Media, Communication and Information at University of Colorado-Boulder. His research primarily concerns itself with how shifting notions of “organization” in journalism lead to influence on journalism practice. Specifically, his work examines organization-level variables’ impact on message construction.

Michelle Rossi, University of Colorado-Boulder

Michelle Rossi (MA, Federal University of Mato Grosso) is a doctoral student in the Department of Journalism in the College of Media, Communication and Information at University of Colorado-Boulder. Her research is in the area of media economics, specifically how it relates to news quality. 

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Published

2022-08-13

Issue

Vol. 16 (2022)

Section

Articles

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