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Making Convergence Work in the Newsroom

A Case Study of Convergence of Print, Radio, Television and Online Newsrooms at the African Media Matrix in South Africa During the National Arts Festival

School of Journalism, Utrecht, The Netherlands, peter.verweij{at}hu.nl

The process of convergence has had significant effects on and consequences for the working habits and roles of journalists. This article, based on observations at The Times and Die Burger, and on a convergence experiment at The School of Journalism at Rhodes University, will focus on this impact. Convergence has transformed the journalist from `a lonely wolf' into a (multimedia) team player. Enhancing at the same time the limits of decision making in the production of news by reporters and editors. The success of this transformation is more related to the social structure and organization of the newsroom, than to technology. Converged newsrooms offer more opportunities for the public to be informed and involved in a story, and offer the reporter and editor more integrated tools to tell the story.

Key Words: convergence • journalism education • multi-media team • newsroom structure • multi-platform • repurposing • workflow system

Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, Vol. 15, No. 1, 75-87 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1354856508097020


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