Abstract
The dying days of newspaper exclusives: how news websites and Twitter are transforming Australian sports journalism
2012 Journalism Education Association of Australia Melbourne Conference Program Book, p.35
Journalism Education Association of Australia, 2012 (Melbourne, Australia, 02-Dec-2012–05-Dec-2012)
2012
Abstract
The internet has had a significant effect on newspapers over the past two decades, but it is only recently that the print medium has lost its centuries-old reputation as a news organisation's major publishing platform. Webfirst policies in Australia, for example, were not outlined as a primary strategy by News Limited and Fairfax Media until 2012. However, in sports sections, with the emphasis on results and breaking news, the change in focus from print to online, including the rise of Twitter, has been dramatic. The range of mediums now available - such as news websites, Twitter, iPad, mobile and traditional methods - has revolutionised the way exclusive content is viewed by staff at two of the country's broadsheet/quality sports departments. As one senior editor from The Sydney Morning Herald's sports desk says: "The bottom line is I think the exclusive is dead." Many sports editors, reporters, online editors and subeditors would still prefer the best stories to be printed in the paper first, but most now realise the content should increasingly go online as soon as possible. At The Australian a senior production staff member says: "It's very rare now that we would hold what we call a good news story, and not run it on the web first." On newspaper websites, unique content has a lifespan that sports journalists say can be measured in minutes. The rise of Twitter has reduced the exclusivity to a matter of seconds. In this environment, saving a story for the newspaper risks the organisation being scooped by its rivals, and printing yesterday's news. A senior editor from The Australian's sports desk highlights the transformation from a print-centric newsroom to a multi-media operation. "We still do journalism, we just publish it on different platforms." This research, focusing on publishing techniques and Twitter usage, involves semi-structured interviews with a total of 12 sports journalists from six different positions at The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald. The results have been developed from preliminary analysis of the data, which forms part of a PhD examining how online journalism has changed sports journalism at broadsheet/quality titles in Australia, the United Kingdom and India.
Details
- Title
- The dying days of newspaper exclusives: how news websites and Twitter are transforming Australian sports journalism
- Authors
- Peter A English (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and Business
- Publication details
- 2012 Journalism Education Association of Australia Melbourne Conference Program Book, p.35
- Conference details
- Journalism Education Association of Australia, 2012 (Melbourne, Australia, 02-Dec-2012–05-Dec-2012)
- Publisher
- Deakin University
- Date published
- 2012
- Organisation Unit
- School of Business and Creative Industries; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Creative Industries - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450398702621
- Output Type
- Abstract
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