Journalistic practice in digital television newsrooms

Abstract

This article examines some of the working practices of television journalists and the changes they are adopting in the process of digital news-gathering and editing. It relies on research carried out in the two main Spanish commercial networks, Tele 5 and Antena 3, which implemented integrated digital newrooms in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The study finds that journalists, managers and engineers at both networks developed a collaborative effort in selecting and implementing a digital system which all professionals involved would be comfortable using. It also shows the emergence of new functions and a growing trend towards multiskilling in these television newsrooms.