The Processes of Adopting Multimedia and Interactivity in Three Online Newsrooms

Abstract

This article examines the material culture of newsroom practices by focusing on the dynamics of the processes through which news workers adopt new technologies. More specifically, it looks at some key factors that shape the adoption of multimedia and interactive technologies in online newspapers. Through ethnographic case studies of innovations in 3 online newsrooms, I show that variations in organizational structures, work practices, and representations of the users are related to different ways in which members of the newsroom appropriate these technologies. I draw from this analysis to reflect on issues related to the technological dimension of editorial work and the dynamics of media convergence.