Impact of the Digital Environment on Traditional Chilean Media: Predominant Perceptions and Attitudes of Their Protagonists
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Date
2022
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Abstract
This paper investigates the transformations caused by the digital environ-ment and social media within Chilean newsrooms. It focuses on three as-pects: the impact of the digital environment on the practice of journalism, the use of social networks in the traditional media, and the professional rou-tines' opportunities and risks. We conducted a qualitative study based on 21 semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore the protagonist's percep-tions. Results show that, although the digital environment has put a strain on the traditional journalism role of gatekeeper, its fundamental aspects are still valid as pillars of the profession to preserve quality standards. Journal-ists and media outlets tend to see certain social media-such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram-as an opportunity to streamline their work and increase their reach, even though they recognize risks and threats that bur -den their independence and that come mainly from the pressure of the au-dience. Finally, media are using multiple strategies and protocols to face the dangers of the digital environment.
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Media development, digitization, gatekeeper, media pluralism, social me-dia, journalism