Publication details
Retiring Pioneers in Localities: Entrepreneurial Journalism as 30 Years Old Phenomenon
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| Citation | |
| Description | There are often overlooked peripheral actors in the local journalism: journalist-entrepreneurs. They could be understood as journalists who start up their own media businesses. They are depicted as pioneer journalists to stress that they are a recent phenomenon, and they bring up-to-date practices. In fact, the rise of journalist-entrepreneurs is nothing new, but their voices have so far been rather quiet. My aim is to describe the functions and roles of journalist-entrepreneurs in the Czech local newspapers. The mixed-method research during 2019 and 2020 consisted of (1) a survey of all the owners of local newspapers; (2) in-depth interviews, and (3) participant observations. In the light of the collected data, the position of journalist-entrepreneurs typifies those who work at the local newspapers in the Czech Republic. Journalist-entrepreneurs have ambivalent roles: (1) former journalists who saw entrepreneurship as the only way to keep local newspapers alive; or (2) businessmen who fell in love with journalism. What they have in common, is a strong influence on the shape of local journalism, and their roles that have so far been uncharted. |