24-hour television news channels: challenges in contemporary media

This thesis examines the challenges in contemporary media facing 24-hour global television news channels and their effects on news content and sustainability. Its focus is on three areas: (1) Changes in technology that affect the production of news at 24-hour news channels (2) How these changes affect the channels’ news values and agendas (3) Strategies adopted to overcome the challenges posed by a digitalised environment for the distribution of news, to sustain itself as a news platform. Findings from this study are from two sources of evidence with semi-structured interviews with journalists working for the BBC, BBC World News, Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Media Network as the primary source. The findings from my first research question demonstrate affordances primarily brought forth by mobile phone technology, in particular, through immediacy and interactive features, are changing method of news production. Firstly, advancement in mobile technology has created new demands for journalistic skills. Secondly, advancement in mobile technology has forced news production to give more (but controlled) allowance for its audience in shaping news content, particularly through User Generated Content and social media. In this digitalised, fast-evolving technology affecting the news media industry, where news is obtained from a plethora of platforms, my findings from the second research question suggest contextualisation of news is an important part of news production. While news agendas vary in each news channel, contextualisation of news as part of additional criteria in news values is shared among news organisations. Contextualisation of news is achieved through the creation of relatable news content for the audience. In my third research question, I explain accuracy and interactivity in news content are two equally vital factors that news channels need to consider as part of its distribution strategy to sustain into the future. This is achievable through the blending of linear and non-linear methods of production and delivery, while maintaining quality journalism in its news production. This thesis concludes that technological changes, particularly mobile phones and its affordances, have changed practices in television news production and added new criteria within the journalistic discourse on news values, as a result of consumer demand for engagement through interactive and quality news content