Citizens at the Gates : Twitter, Networked Publics, and the Transformation of American Journalism

Drawing insights from nearly a decade of mixed-method research, Stephen R. Barnard analyzes Twitter's role in the transformation of American journalism. As the work of media professionals grows increasingly hybrid, Twitter has become an essential space where information is shared, reporting methods tested, and power contested. In addition to spelling opportunity for citizen media activism, the normalization of digital communication adds new channels of influence for traditional thought leaders, posing notable challenges for the future of journalism and democracy. In his analyses of Twitter practices around newsworthy events--including the Boston Marathon bombing, protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and the election of Donald Trump--Barnard brings together conceptual and theoretical lenses from multiple academic disciplines, bridging sociology, journalism, communication, media studies, science and technology studies, and political science Dedication 5 Acknowledgments 6 Contents 10 List of Figures 12 List of Tables 13 Chapter 1: Introduction 14 Twitter, Social Media, and the Networked Revolution 17 This Book 19 References 24 Chapter 2: Twitter: More than 140 Characters 26 The #Evolution of @Twitter 29 On the Promise of “Free Speech” 32 Twitter and American Journalism 36 References 38 Chapter 3: Understanding the Gates: The Journalistic Field in a Time of Mediatization 45 Field Theory 46 Elements of Practice 46 Structural Dynamics 49 Field Formation and Professionalization 49 Inter-Field Relations (a.k.a. Autonomy and Heteronomy) 51 Boundary Maintenance and Reformation at the Intersection of Practice and Profession 55 Mixing in Mediatization 60 The Fifth Estate? Action at Journalism’s Gates 65 References 68 Chapter 4: “Tweet or Be Sacked”: Hybridity and Shifts in (Professional) Journalistic Practice 73 A Practice and Profession in Transition 74 Professional Journalists on Twitter: Individual Practices and Elements of Practice 77 Eight Journalistic Practices on Twitter 78 Information Collection 79 News Dissemination 79 Sourcing 79 Public Note-Taking 80 Public Engagement 80 Journalistic Meta-Discourse 81 Other Professional (Inter)Actions 81 Personal (Inter)Actions 82 Elements of Practice 82 Capital 82 Habitus 83 Doxa 84 Making Sense of Journalistic Practice (on Twitter) 85 Conclusion 89 References 90 Chapter 5: The Pros and Cons of Pro-Am Journalism: Breaking News During the #BostonMarathon Bombing and Beyond 95 Twitter’s Role in Breaking News 97 Interlude: Lessons on Breaking News and Conflicting Reports from Yemen 99 Triumphant Successes and Epic Failures: Media Coverage in the Aftermath of the Bombing 101 Tweeting the #Manhunt 103 New(s) Media Convergence in the Aftermath of the Marathon Bombing 105 Conclusion 106 References 108 Chapter 6: Tweeting #Ferguson: Affective Publics, Boundary Maintenance, and Journo-Activism in a Mediatized Field 113 Twitter, Social Media and the New Journo-Activist Field 115 Mediatization in the Field: Affective Publics, Social Networks, and the Links that Connect 117 Studying Professional Journalists and Journo-­Activists Through #Ferguson 119 Themes: Similarity Across Difference 120 Organizing 120 Amplifying 120 News Dissemination 121 Police Criticism 122 Media Criticism 122 Shared Experience 123 Meta-Discourse 123 Format: What’s in a Tweet? 124 Discourse: Separate but Overlapping Communities 125 Discussion and Conclusion 128 References 132 Chapter 7: We Stand with #Nerdland: Gatewatching and Agenda-Building by the “People Formerly Known as the Audience” 138 Here Comes (Some of) Black Twitter 139 Gatekeeping, Agenda-Setting, and the Mediatization of the Journalistic Field 141 Assessing Agenda-Building in #Nerdland 143 From Tweet-Streams to the Mainstream 144 Discourse 147 Themes 148 Media Criticism 149 Information Dissemination 150 Frames: Tweets vs. News 150 Conclusions 151 References 152 Chapter 8: The Spectacle of #TrumpsAmerica: Political Journalism, Networked Publics, and the Battle for Symbolic Power 157 Trump, Twitter, and the News: Symbolic Power and Media(Tized) Spectacle 159 Reporting on @realDonaldTrump 163 Responding to “Covfefe”: An Analysis of Journalistic Meta-Discourse 166 Examining Digital News on “covfefe” and @realDonaldTrump 167 #TrumpsAmerica: Can Networked Publics Strike Back? 170 Affective Reaction (Political Opining) 171 Gatecrashing (Documenting Hate and Violence) 172 Gatewatching (Media Criticism and Amplification) 173 Comparing Influence Across (Sub)Fields 174 Conclusion 179 References 181 Chapter 9: Twitter and Beyond: Journalistic Practice, Platforms, and the Future of Media Power 186 Twitter and the Elements of Journalistic Practice 187 (Re)Working the Gates: On Twitter and Beyond 189 Collaboration, Competition, and Contestation: Gatewatching and Gatecrashing as Citizen Journalism 193 The Future of Media Power 196 References 201 Appendix: Methodology 205 Chapter 4: “Tweet or Be Sacked” 207 Chapter 5: The Pros and Cons of Pro-Am Journalism 208 Chapter 6: Tweeting #Ferguson 209 Chapter 7: We Stand with #Nerdland 211 Chapter 8: The Spectacle of #TrumpsAmerica 212 References 215 Index 216 Front Matter ....Pages i-xv Introduction (Stephen R. Barnard)....Pages 1-12 Twitter: More than 140 Characters (Stephen R. Barnard)....Pages 13-31 Understanding the Gates: The Journalistic Field in a Time of Mediatization (Stephen R. Barnard)....Pages 33-60 “Tweet or Be Sacked”: Hybridity and Shifts in (Professional) Journalistic Practice (Stephen R. Barnard)....Pages 61-82 The Pros and Cons of Pro-Am Journalism: Breaking News During the #BostonMarathon Bombing and Beyond (Stephen R. Barnard)....Pages 83-100 Tweeting #Ferguson: Affective Publics, Boundary Maintenance, and Journo-Activism in a Mediatized Field (Stephen R. Barnard)....Pages 101-125 We Stand with #Nerdland: Gatewatching and Agenda-Building by the “People Formerly Known as the Audience” (Stephen R. Barnard)....Pages 127-145 The Spectacle of #TrumpsAmerica: Political Journalism, Networked Publics, and the Battle for Symbolic Power (Stephen R. Barnard)....Pages 147-175 Twitter and Beyond: Journalistic Practice, Platforms, and the Future of Media Power (Stephen R. Barnard)....Pages 177-195 Back Matter ....Pages 197-215 Drawing insights from nearly a decade of mixed-method research, Stephen R. Barnard analyzes Twitter's role in the transformation of American journalism. As the work of media professionals grows increasingly hybrid, Twitter has become an essential space where information is shared, reporting methods tested, and power contested. In addition to spelling opportunity for citizen media activism, the normalizaiton of digital communication adds new channels of influence for traditional thought leaders, posing notable challenges for the future of journalism and democracy. In his analyses of Twitter practices around newsworthy events--including the Boston Marathon bombing, protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and the election of Donald Trump--Barnard brings together conceptual and theoretical lenses from multiple academic disciplines, bridging sociology, journalism, communication, media studies, science and technology studies, and policial science--back cover