The Mediated City: The News In A Post-industrial Context News In A Post-industrial Context

Figures and tables -- Acknowledgements -- About the contributors -- Introduction: a new news ecology -- Making sense of/in the city -- A week in news -- How citizens receive the news -- How people make sense of the city -- The mainstream providers of local news -- Citizen news-makers and news practices -- "Down there in Chapeltown" -- Mediating democratic accountability: the case of the care home closures -- Local news: a different story -- Appendices -- References -- Index.;How does news circulate in a major post-industrial city? And how in turn are identities and differences formed and mediated through this circulation? This seminal work is the first to offer an empirical examination into, and trace a city's pattern of, news circulation. Encompassing a comprehensive range of practices involved in producing, circulating and consuming 'news' and recognizing the various ways in which individuals and groups may find out follow and discuss local issues and events, The Mediated City critiques thinking that takes the centrality of certain news media as an unquestioned starting point. By doing so, it opens up a discussion: do we know what news is? What types of media constitute it? And why does it matter? Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Figures and tables 9 Acknowledgements 10 About the contributors 11 Introduction: A new news ecology 14 Why study news ecologies? 17 How we studied a local news ecology 22 1. Making sense of/in the city 29 Communicating community 29 A place called Leeds 31 Leeds: a post-industrial city 34 The coexistence of past and future within the news ecology 40 2. A week in news 47 News content analysis: approach and sampling 48 Broadcast media content analysis: ‘And now for the news where you are’ 51 Reporting the local: celebrating culture and recording crime 54 Prominence of ‘story topics’ 57 Who gets to speak? 60 Reporting the political 64 Local print media analysis: ‘At the heart of Leeds’ 66 Representing a sense of local community 67 Campaigning against NHS reforms 72 Concluding observations 77 3. How citizens receive the news 79 News consumption 83 Preferences and evaluations: topics of coverage 88 Evaluation and appreciation 92 Retrospective assessments 94 After the news 95 Conclusion: a survey-based picture of the news ecology 98 4. How people make sense of the city 102 Local news as word-of-mouth 103 The uses of local media 111 5. The mainstream providers of local news 122 Who are the mainstream providers of local news? 122 At the chalkface: the editorial interviews 130 Preferred stories 131 Public purposes 133 The preferred voice 135 Audience 139 New media 141 From source to mainstream 143 Conclusion 152 6. Citizen news-makers and news practices 157 Mapping citizen news-makers 159 Newsworthiness 165 Citizen news practices 168 Citizen news-makers in the news ecology 170 Conclusion 175 7. ‘Down there in Chapeltown’ 177 Difference, distance, storytelling 178 What should news organizations do? 181 Unblocking the news ecology: new stories, new practices 186 8. Mediating democratic accountability: the case of the care home closures 195 What does public engagement actually mean? 196 What makes engagement successful? 200 More than lip-service – serious attempts to ensure successful engagement 204 Crisis, cuts and consultation 205 The press release/the council’s side of the story 206 The news story 207 Local journalism and engaging the public 210 The role of journalists in the news ecology 212 Citizens or spectators? 215 9. Local news: a different story 219 The news as social practice 222 The news as storytelling 226 Emergent practices in the news ecology 229 Thinking about local news ecologically 237 Appendix 1: Content analysis coding schema (with instructions for coders), discussed in Chapter 2 241 Appendix 2: Data for charts presented in Chapter 2 248 References 251 Index 260 How Does News Circulate In A Major Post-industrial City? And How In Turn Are Identities And Differences Formed And Mediated Through This Circulation? This Seminal Work Is The First To Offer An Empirical Examination Into, And Trace A City's Pattern Of, News Circulation. Encompassing A Comprehensive Range Of Practices Involved In Producing, Circulating And Consuming 'news' And Recognizing The Various Ways In Which Individuals And Groups May Find Out Follow And Discuss Local Issues And Events, The Mediated City Critiques Thinking That Takes The Centrality Of Certain News Media As An Unquestioned Starting Point. By Doing So, It Opens Up A Discussion: Do We Know What News Is? What Types Of Media Constitute It? And Why Does It Matter? Figures And Tables -- Acknowledgements -- About The Contributors -- Introduction: A New News Ecology -- Making Sense Of/in The City -- A Week In News -- How Citizens Receive The News -- How People Make Sense Of The City -- The Mainstream Providers Of Local News -- Citizen News-makers And News Practices -- Down There In Chapeltown -- Mediating Democratic Accountability: The Case Of The Care Home Closures -- Local News: A Different Story -- Appendices -- References -- Index. Stephen Coleman [and 7 Others]. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. A radically alternative exploration of news circulation that asks: do we even know what news is?