A1 Journal article (refereed)
Conversational Gatekeeping : Social Interactional Practices of Post-Publication Gatekeeping on Newspapers’ Facebook Pages (2023)

Salonen, M., Olbertz-Siitonen, M., Uskali, T., & Laaksonen, S.-M. (2023). Conversational Gatekeeping : Social Interactional Practices of Post-Publication Gatekeeping on Newspapers’ Facebook Pages. Journalism Practice, 17(9), 2053-2077. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2022.2034520

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Salonen, Margareta; Olbertz-Siitonen, Margarethe; Uskali, Tero; Laaksonen, Salla-Maaria

Journal or series: Journalism Practice

ISSN: 1751-2786

eISSN: 1751-2794

Publication year: 2023

Volume: 17

Issue number: 9

Pages range: 2053-2077

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2022.2034520

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/80171

Abstract

Digital platforms, such as social media networks, have become intertwined in the news ecosystem, leading news media to lose their role as the sole gatekeeper in the public space. This development has given an active voice to audiences and turned journalism more into conversations between journalists and their audiences. The starting observation for this article was that alongside journalists, platforms and audiences play a part in the gatekeeping process that takes place post-publication, and therefore we need to gain a better understanding of this triadic relationship. Furthermore, as conversations are one of the main functions of social media platforms, more understanding of the role of social interaction in post-publication gatekeeping is needed. After analysing posts (N = 180) and their comments on Finnish newspapers’ Facebook pages utilising content and digital conversation analysis, we extend the traditional gatekeeping theory to post-publication practices of gatekeeping and finally suggest the concept of conversational gatekeeping. The concept explains how through social interaction journalists and social media audiences are able to build mutual understanding and create norms as well as decide on the content and action that is appropriate or wanted in the public news space formed on the particular online platform.

Keywords: social media; journalism; audience; media; interaction; social interaction; conversation; conversation analysis; roles (expected behaviour); commentaries (works); online communities; Facebook

Free keywords: conversational gatekeeping; digital conversation analysis; Facebook; gatekeeping; newspapers; postpublication gatekeeping; social interaction; socialmedia

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2022

JUFO rating: 2