Staying true to the mission: How C-SPAN translated espoused into lived values to pull off a ‘boring’ social media strategy

Abstract

Building a brand is key to a news organization’s successful social media strategy. But what if that brand is ‘boring’? Through an ethnographic study of C-SPAN, the cable network dedicated to covering the US House and Senate, this study examines conflicts between an organization’s espoused values and accepted social media practices. It finds that building a brand, even if it is seen as boring, effectively serves an audience on social media because audience members will align with the overall message rather than individual reporter’s attributes. The key is clearly communicating the journalistic benefits of living espoused values and how getting involved on social media fulfills the organization’s public service mission. When conflicts arise, the study also finds individual staffers provide key examples, which organizations should cultivate in the newsroom.