The Organization of Journalism ? Market Models and Practice in a Fraying Profession

New business models have splintered journalists’ once-monolithic professional culture. Where the organization once had little sway in the newsroom, in today’s journalism ecosystem, owners and management influence newsgathering more than ever.

Using rich interviews and participant observation, Patrick Ferrucci examines institutions with funding mechanisms that range from traditional mogul ownership and online-only nonprofits to staff-owned cooperatives and hedge fund control. The variations in market models have frayed the tenets of professionalization, with unique work cultures emerging from each organization’s focus on its mission and the implantation of its own processes and ethical guidelines. As a result, the field of American journalism no longer shares uniform newsgathering practices and a common identity, a break with the past that affects what information we consume today and what the press will become tomorrow.

An inside look at a fracturing profession, The Organization of Journalism illuminates the institution’s expanding impact on newsgathering and the people who practice it.

“At a time characterized by profound changes and challenges to journalism as an institution and a business, The Organization of Journalism is an essential resource for anyone seeking to make sense of these forces. Through engaging and nuanced case studies of six different news organizations, the book compellingly demonstrates how market models shape organizational cultures, journalistic practices and, ultimately, the news we get.”--Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, author of Emotions, Media and Politics