Strange bedfellows? The diffusion of convergence in four news organizations

Abstract

This study examines newsroom convergence—a combination of technologies, products, staffs and geography among the previously distinct provinces of print, television and online media—through the framework of diffusion of innovations theory. Convergence is becoming a global trend as media companies continue to expand their holdings beyond their original core products. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data drawn from case studies of four US newsrooms, it is suggested that, despite culture clashes and other issues of compatibility, journalists see clear advantages in the new policy of convergence. Journalists perceive experience in a converged newsroom as a career booster, say they enjoy working with colleagues whose strengths differ from their own, and admit that convergence has led to respect for people in other parts of the news organization. At the same time, the diffusion of convergence within the newsroom may be hindered by cultural and technological differences in approaches to newsgathering and dissemination, as well as by a lack of training to alleviate concerns about the perceived complexities of new media formats.