Competition in local TV news: Ritual, enactment, and ideology

"This work seeks to develop a critical, ethnographic understanding of competition in local television journalism. Using methods of participant observation, focused interviews, and critical textual analysis, the author argues that competition is ritualized within and among news organizations. Television news can be seen as a kind of race: a race for news, a race for ratings, and a race against deadlines. Competitive norms are embedded in common newsroom rituals such as ""monitoring the opposition,"" checking overnight ratings, etc. These rituals are in many ways similar to the ""strategic ritual"" of objectivity described by Tuchman; newsworkers engage in the rituals in order to demonstrate that they are acting competitively and to shield themselves from professional disapproval."

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Ehrlich, Matthew Carleton

Contributors dc:contributor

• Whitney, D.C.

• Journalism
• Sociology, General
• Mass Communications

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1991 Ehrlich, Matthew Carleton

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

AAI9210793
(UMI)AAI9210793

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/22863