A new study found that “it is a commonplace” for journalists to carry their smartphones wherever they go because they are constantly looking for news. As a result, they have less free time now than they had at the beginning of their careers.
The study, titled “How Smartphones Have Changed the Job for Better and for Worse—The Experiences of Reporters,” was conducted by Texas Wesleyan University Assistant Professor Jenny J. Dean.
She interviewed 63 reporters from three regional newspapers in the U.S. who have at least 10 years of experience. The participants included the executive editors and the managing editors of each paper.
The main findings indicate that respondents saw social media as a big problem because it updates journalists 24/7, but at the same time, reporters are less interested in investigative work. The study also found that smartphones affect newsroom activities, with social media use distracting the journalists.
“Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the technology and the immediacy that we lose track of the actual reporting,” said a respondent from the Sports department at the Times.
Journalists said, on average, they use the smartphone for an hour or two every day. They mostly check email, send and receive messages, take photographs and videos, make voice recordings, and write and file reports.
Journalists, however, aren’t totally convinced that technology is dependable. They use traditional strategies as notebooks, pencils, and pens while interviewing.
To read more: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2019.1582353
Dean, J. J. (2019). How Smartphones Have Changed the Job for Better and for Worse—The Experiences of Reporters. Journalism Practice, 13(10), 1222-1237.
