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Institution:
Department of
Information Studies
Faculty of
Information Sciences
University of Tampere
Tampere
Address:
Department of Information Studies
TAMPERE UNIVERSITY
33014
Tampere University
Kanslerinrinne 1
Pinni A Building, 4. floor
tel. (03) 215 6970
fax. (03) 215 6560
Contact person:
Hannele
Fabritius
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The purpose of
the study – one of the
REGIS
(Research
Group on Information Seeking) projects – is to investigate searching
behaviour of journalists.
The study aims to find out how newspaper journalists conduct searches from
databases (text archive) when writing news and articles. It is important
to study information retrieval by journalists in the context of daily work,
journalistic practice.
From that point of view, the study seeks to find out what the impact of the new
technology (including online databases, CD-ROM files, e-mail, Internet resources
etc.) on the journalistic work is. The focus is particularly on in-house databases.
Like in most other professions the use of information systems and
information retrieval applications does not form the main goal of the work tasks
of journalists; it takes a minor and supporting role. However, information
seeking is an essential element in the journalistic work.
The purpose of the project is to investigate, what is the role of digital
information in journalistic writing, how the journalists utilise information
technology and how well or badly the digital systems support journalistic work.
The research focuses on two issues of interest; firstly, the
journalistic work practice and the journalists´ information environment, and
secondly, the role of digital information in news reporting, which is the main
issue of the study. The research questions are as follows.
1. What kind of task
is news reporting as a journalistic work process? What is the nature of the
information environment of journalists? What kinds of sources do the journalists
use? Do they find these sources satisfactory? Which problems and barriers have
they faced while using these sources, particularly digital information?
2. What is the role
of digital information in the journalistic work; in particular, in covering the
news events? What is the purpose of the search for digital information in
preparing a particular piece of news or other journalistic item? How are the
digital sources utilised? Is digital information replacing or complementing some
traditional ways to seek information? If so, which sources are being replaced?
What is the relationship between digital information and information acquired or
sought from other sources?
The
journalistic information searching behaviour is investigated by means of seven
hierarchical concepts. When moving from general to more specific the
concepts are:
the journalistic culture, the medium´s culture, the department´s culture, the
journalistic work practice, the journalistic item process, the information
seeking and retrieval processes.
Rich and detailed
information can be found in the following paper:
Hannele Fabritius,
Information Seeking in the Newsroom. Application of the Cognitive Framework for
Analysis of the Work Context.
“Information Research”,
Vol. 4, No. 2 (October 1998)
It is one of the
Doctoral Workshop Papers from "Information Seeking in Context" - an
International Conference on Information Needs, Seeking and Use in Different
Contexts, Sheffield, August 1998.
Keywords:
journalistic information searching behaviour – information seeking in the
newsroom – cognitive framework – information retrieval - information retrieval
process – in-house databases – role of digital information – work context -
journalistic practice - journalistic culture - medium´s culture - journalistic
work practice - journalists´ information environment – news reporting
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