How Way-Finding is Challenging Gatekeeping in the Digital Age

Bibliographic Data

ID7499276
AuthorsGeorge D Pearson (0000-0002-9530-7851, School of Communication, Ohio State University, USA. ORCID, corresponding author), Gerald M Kosicki (0000-0003-3679-4087, School of Communication, Ohio State University, USA.ORCID)
Year2016
Volume18
Issue9
Pages1087-1105
Publication date2016-01-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-670X • E-ISSN: 1469-9699
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1461670x.2015.1123112
OpenAlexW2235700809
LanguageEN
Citations received26
References cited25

This paper re-evaluates the relevance of the gatekeeping framework in the twenty-first century, arguing that in an age of digital journalism the gatekeeping metaphor has begun to restrict our study of journalism. Reviewing current research and utilizing a variety of surveys, case studies and theoretical work, the paper proposes a new framework. It argues that rather than online journalism studies focusing on the packaging of a news product by a news source (gatekeeping), it should instead focus on the paths taken by news users to individual stories via search engines, gatewatchers and social media (way-finding). To support this, five key areas of change are investigated: the increased capacity for storing and publishing news; new tools for news creation; increased use of aggregators and gatewatchers; competition on a story-by-story basis; and immediate audience feedback

Advertising · Business · Competition (biology · Digital media · Gatekeeping · Journalism · Media studies · Metaphor · Political science · Product (mathematics · Public relations · Relevance (law · Social media · Sociology · Technical Journalism · Variety (cybernetics · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Digital Games and Media · Media Studies and Communication · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Law

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