Journalistic Product Personnel as Cultural Entrepreneurs

An Exploration of Background, Tenureship, and Knowledge Skills

Bibliographic Data

ID7498872
AuthorsRowan Mcmullen Cheng (0000-0001-6162-689X, University of Minnesota, corresponding author), Valérie Bélair-Gagnon (0000-0002-7756-1688, University of Minnesota)
Year2022
Volume23
Issue12
Pages1531-1547
Publication date2022-07-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-670X • E-ISSN: 1469-9699
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1461670x.2022.2102534
OpenAlexW4288067945
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited50

Product innovation within institutional journalism has become an increasingly apparent strategy for news organizations to form and maintain audience interest and economic stability. The common desire for product innovation to be a fiscal savior ultimately challenges internal boundaries of professions. This is particularly apparent as the product innovation field within the news industry expands and blurs institutional logics. To explore the ways product personnel challenge and contribute to the shifting boundaries of journalism, this research draws on content analysis data from top national U.S. print newspaper organizations’ LinkedIn member profiles. The research provides a more nuanced understanding of the shifting and conflicting logics of journalism through laborer backgrounds and experiences regarding product and innovation. It applies cultural entrepreneurship and conflicting institutional logic concepts to argue these news workers introduce knowledge skillsets and are reshaping the profession of journalism

Entrepreneurship · Gatekeeping · Journalism · Media studies · Newspaper · Political science · Product (mathematics · Public relations · Sociology · Management and Organizational Studies · Media Studies and Communication · Public Relations and Crisis Communication · Law