The Space of Journalistic Work: A Theoretical Model

2018/05/14 by Henrik Örnebring, Michael Karlsson, Karin Fast +1 · 2 citations
Social Sciences · #Cultural Industries and Urban Development #Media Studies and Communication #Social Media and Politics

paper · doi:10.1093/ct/qty006

openalex publication_date 2018/05/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

Attempts to define journalism are often normative in nature but do not add to our theoretical understanding of what journalism is. There is a need for journalism scholarship to recognize explicitly that journalism is a space in which participants are not equal—or even similar—in terms of status, influence, work tasks, and working conditions. This paper offers a theoretical model combining the field theory of Pierre Bourdieu with recent insights from the sociology of work in order to articulate how journalistic work is stratified across three dimensions: journalistic capital, resource access, and material security. These dimensions create a space in which to place different types of journalistic work in order to make sense of contemporary journalism.

Citations

• 8 The Precariat The New Dangerous Class?

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• Diversity Through Precarity? Gender, Race, and Work in Digital Journalism
• “If We Don’t Take the Risk, Who Else Would?” Self-perceptions of Foundations that Financially Support Journalism

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