Pedro Pereira Neto - ICT Multi-dimensional Approach_the Case of General Dailies in Portugal

8/9/2019 Pedro Pereira Neto - ICT Multi-dimensional Approach_the Case of General Dailies in Portugal

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ICT multi-dimensional approach: the

case of generalistic dailies in Portugal

Pedro Pereira Neto, OberCom

SHiFT, 29.09.06

Lisboa


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State-of-the-art

Approaches persist which, from a social discontinuity standpoint, set a

causal relation between social change and technology

Attempts to renderuniversalwhat are contextualphenomena

Focus on the device, instead of the user and the underlying dimensions in which

such interaction takes place

Devices placed outside the social system, when they should be taken fora social

product in constant adaptation processes

Much of the debate regarding technological change mistakes it for social

change; but no social or cultural change takes place as quickly as

technological change does

one should not underrate continuityaspects behind social phenomena:

continuity- rather than discontinuity- is the staple feature of the past

decades (LYON; WEBSTER)


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Main perspective

Evolutionary nature of the relation

between journalistic values and practices,

and the Internet:

Refusing positivist neo-hypodermism

Refusing discontinuity and a-historical logics


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Method

Why print journalism? Because it is one of

the preferential fields of observation of

technological innovation effects Four main (in circulation figures and online

single visits) nation-wide print dailies

First page content and inner/linked news

piece development, in both print and

online editions


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Print media business strategies

Profit is the main variable behind strategicoptions, not technological availability

Traits of dynamism in the Portuguese media

business sector: reprivatisation of key mediatitles, and media concentration in majoreconomic groups

the emergence of ICTs actually reinforced the position of theplayers already established: the six major media groups

stood for 86% of all circulation, and about 80% of theadvertising revenue

about 3.5 times less space for advertising in their onlineeditions, while self-promotion practices get about 10 timesmore space


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Internet-specific potential use

Imediacy only two out of four newspapers - Pblico e

Correio da Manh - updated their online editions

Multimediality must deal with technical infrastructures such

as access speed and bandwidth given the predominance of dial-up household

Internet access, no video footage is found innewspaper websites, and there are less photos -and of smaller size - in online editions


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Internet-specific potential use

Hypertextuality links only at the bottom or on the sides of news pieces,

rendering the print layout of text virtually intact

circular reference to the same title or, at best, to content insites belonging to the same economic group

Interactivity front-page content personalization in only one newspaper -

the same which provided the only PDF version - and e-mail

newsletters available in two of them commenting stories possible only in the same two

forum-like mechanisms not found

no personal e-mail addresses


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EPILOGUE

For now, it is best to consider the Internet as another chapter not"the" chapter - in the History of the interaction between technologiesand media, in the context of political frames

technical infrastructures

market wants and needs Assessing the importance of ICTs does not imply underrating the

complex web of backgrounds in which the evolutionary process ofintertwining devices and people takes place

One must, then, take into consideration a) the effects produced in media routines by the economic context of

increasing costs and competitiveness b) the technical context of infrastructural preconditions and resources

c) the cultural context of skills and representations.

Thank you for your time.

Documents

Pedro Pereira Neto - ICT Multi-dimensional Approach_the Case of General Dailies in Portugal