Merja Helle | Aalto University (original) (raw)
Books by Merja Helle
In Finnnish Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan digitalisoinnin ja lisääntyneen mediakilpailun vaikutuks... more In Finnnish
Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan digitalisoinnin ja lisääntyneen mediakilpailun vaikutuksia journalistiseen työhön. Muutosta tarkastellaan kulttuurihistoriallisen toiminnan teorian ja kehittävän työntutkimuksen kautta. Aineisto on kerätty toiminnan teoriaan perustuvissa kehittämisinterventiossa vuosina 1996-2007 kolmessa painetussa sanomalehdessä, yhdessä sanomalehden verkkosivuston uudistamishankkeessa ja yhdessä aikakauslehdessä.
Kehittämis- ja tutkimusmenetelmänä on käytetty muutoslaboratoriota, kehitysvuoropuhelua ja tutkimuksen aikana kehitettyä mediakonseptin käsitettä ja mediakonseptilaboratoriota.
Tutkimuksessa ilmeni, että toimituksissa ja toimittajilla on erilaisia käsityksiä siitä kenelle he lehteä tekevät ja mitä on hyvä journalismi. Käytettyjen kehittämismenetelmien avulla paikallistettiin toiminnan kohteen häiriöt ja ristiriidat käytännössä ja kehitettiin konkreettisia välineitä, kuten mallilukijan käsite työn kohteen uudistamiseksi. Journalistisen työn kohde on muuttumassa lukijoiden mielenkiintoa ja tarpeita korostavaan suuntaan ja työn organisointi lähestyy anglo-amerikkalaista suunnittelevaa ja editoivaa työtapaa.
English
Digitalization of media and the increasing competition for the time and interest of audiences has changed journalism and journalistic work. This research project investigates changes of journalistic work in printed newspapers and magazines between 1996–2007. The theoretical background is cultural historical activity theory and developmental work research. The research data has been collected in connection with developmental interventions based on cultural historical activity theory. The data is gathered from five research and intervention projects: three printed newspapers, one printed magazine and the renewal of a newspaper’s web site. The study describes and analyzes how concepts and tools from activity theory can be used to research and develop journalism and journalistic work.
In the 1990’s digital editorial and layout systems meant new work tasks for journalists but they also provided the opportunity to control the quality of content through the whole pre-press production process. In the late 90’s digital publishing in the web introduced a 24/7 publishing timetable and demanded new competences. Web publishing has increased the pace of work and results often in circulating news stories published in other media. Competition for reader’s interests has pushed media companies into business models, which target increasingly fragmented audiences. That means that knowledge about audience needs, interests and lifestyles are becoming increasingly crucial.
The data in this research project analyzes how these developments have affected newsrooms. The creation of an implied reader, development of a planning and editing work process, more emphasis on interesting content and ways of addressing readers as well as increased visuality are some of the effects.
However, journalists can reach a much wider audience and get comments and information from readers. This can be treated as a threat to journalistic independence or a possibility of engaging readers in public discussions. Many senior news journalists experience all the changes as a threat to their professional identities.
Papers by Merja Helle
Merja Helle Challenges of changing journalistic work. Activity theory and media concepts as tools... more Merja Helle Challenges of changing journalistic work. Activity theory and media concepts as tools for understanding and developing work practices in newsrooms.
Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems, 2000
This material is brought to you by the Journals at AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). It has been ac... more This material is brought to you by the Journals at AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). It has been accepted for inclusion in Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems by an authorized administrator of AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). For more information, please contact elibrary@aisnet.org.
Executive Summary The importance of taking media experience into account when creating new media ... more Executive Summary The importance of taking media experience into account when creating new media content, services and technologies is well established. There are several methodological approaches and measurement techniques (eg, interview, self-report, ...
Audiences and media are fragmenting, boundaries between media genres are blurring, and people are... more Audiences and media are fragmenting, boundaries between media genres are blurring, and people are using media in new, autonomous ways. They are not just readers or viewers or listeners; they also can be users and producers. Changes in media practices call for new methods and ways of combining them, as well as developing iterative research methods that provide a deep understanding of the meaning of media in people's everyday lives.
Understanding what really happens in workplaces has become a central issue for the emerging coope... more Understanding what really happens in workplaces has become a central issue for the emerging cooperative methods of designing information systems. It is not enough to rely on the descriptive observations (Jordan, 1993) or on normative accounts of work (Button & Harper 1996). It is neces- sary to find out how the work gets done and what the work practices are in the lived, everyday life of the workplace. For that purpose, drawing from the field of activity theory and developmental work research, the author describes how the work of journalists was studied in a Finnish national daily newspaper, af- ter the implementation of a new pagination system. The tools developed for analyzing and reflect- ing on work include a systemic analysis of the disturbances in the work practice. The analysis of disturbances suggests that only a part of the work of the newsroom complies with the notion of traditional journalism: an individual reporter writing news stories. The article looks at journalism as...
Kever, 2004
... Toiminnanteoreettisen tutkimuksen teemaryhmä aloittanut toimintansa KeVerissä. Pirjo Lambert,... more ... Toiminnanteoreettisen tutkimuksen teemaryhmä aloittanut toimintansa KeVerissä. Pirjo Lambert, Merja Helle. Koko artikkeli: HTML.
In Finnnish Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan digitalisoinnin ja lisääntyneen mediakilpailun vaikutuks... more In Finnnish
Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan digitalisoinnin ja lisääntyneen mediakilpailun vaikutuksia journalistiseen työhön. Muutosta tarkastellaan kulttuurihistoriallisen toiminnan teorian ja kehittävän työntutkimuksen kautta. Aineisto on kerätty toiminnan teoriaan perustuvissa kehittämisinterventiossa vuosina 1996-2007 kolmessa painetussa sanomalehdessä, yhdessä sanomalehden verkkosivuston uudistamishankkeessa ja yhdessä aikakauslehdessä.
Kehittämis- ja tutkimusmenetelmänä on käytetty muutoslaboratoriota, kehitysvuoropuhelua ja tutkimuksen aikana kehitettyä mediakonseptin käsitettä ja mediakonseptilaboratoriota.
Tutkimuksessa ilmeni, että toimituksissa ja toimittajilla on erilaisia käsityksiä siitä kenelle he lehteä tekevät ja mitä on hyvä journalismi. Käytettyjen kehittämismenetelmien avulla paikallistettiin toiminnan kohteen häiriöt ja ristiriidat käytännössä ja kehitettiin konkreettisia välineitä, kuten mallilukijan käsite työn kohteen uudistamiseksi. Journalistisen työn kohde on muuttumassa lukijoiden mielenkiintoa ja tarpeita korostavaan suuntaan ja työn organisointi lähestyy anglo-amerikkalaista suunnittelevaa ja editoivaa työtapaa.
English
Digitalization of media and the increasing competition for the time and interest of audiences has changed journalism and journalistic work. This research project investigates changes of journalistic work in printed newspapers and magazines between 1996–2007. The theoretical background is cultural historical activity theory and developmental work research. The research data has been collected in connection with developmental interventions based on cultural historical activity theory. The data is gathered from five research and intervention projects: three printed newspapers, one printed magazine and the renewal of a newspaper’s web site. The study describes and analyzes how concepts and tools from activity theory can be used to research and develop journalism and journalistic work.
In the 1990’s digital editorial and layout systems meant new work tasks for journalists but they also provided the opportunity to control the quality of content through the whole pre-press production process. In the late 90’s digital publishing in the web introduced a 24/7 publishing timetable and demanded new competences. Web publishing has increased the pace of work and results often in circulating news stories published in other media. Competition for reader’s interests has pushed media companies into business models, which target increasingly fragmented audiences. That means that knowledge about audience needs, interests and lifestyles are becoming increasingly crucial.
The data in this research project analyzes how these developments have affected newsrooms. The creation of an implied reader, development of a planning and editing work process, more emphasis on interesting content and ways of addressing readers as well as increased visuality are some of the effects.
However, journalists can reach a much wider audience and get comments and information from readers. This can be treated as a threat to journalistic independence or a possibility of engaging readers in public discussions. Many senior news journalists experience all the changes as a threat to their professional identities.
Merja Helle Challenges of changing journalistic work. Activity theory and media concepts as tools... more Merja Helle Challenges of changing journalistic work. Activity theory and media concepts as tools for understanding and developing work practices in newsrooms.
Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems, 2000
This material is brought to you by the Journals at AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). It has been ac... more This material is brought to you by the Journals at AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). It has been accepted for inclusion in Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems by an authorized administrator of AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). For more information, please contact elibrary@aisnet.org.
Executive Summary The importance of taking media experience into account when creating new media ... more Executive Summary The importance of taking media experience into account when creating new media content, services and technologies is well established. There are several methodological approaches and measurement techniques (eg, interview, self-report, ...
Audiences and media are fragmenting, boundaries between media genres are blurring, and people are... more Audiences and media are fragmenting, boundaries between media genres are blurring, and people are using media in new, autonomous ways. They are not just readers or viewers or listeners; they also can be users and producers. Changes in media practices call for new methods and ways of combining them, as well as developing iterative research methods that provide a deep understanding of the meaning of media in people's everyday lives.
Understanding what really happens in workplaces has become a central issue for the emerging coope... more Understanding what really happens in workplaces has become a central issue for the emerging cooperative methods of designing information systems. It is not enough to rely on the descriptive observations (Jordan, 1993) or on normative accounts of work (Button & Harper 1996). It is neces- sary to find out how the work gets done and what the work practices are in the lived, everyday life of the workplace. For that purpose, drawing from the field of activity theory and developmental work research, the author describes how the work of journalists was studied in a Finnish national daily newspaper, af- ter the implementation of a new pagination system. The tools developed for analyzing and reflect- ing on work include a systemic analysis of the disturbances in the work practice. The analysis of disturbances suggests that only a part of the work of the newsroom complies with the notion of traditional journalism: an individual reporter writing news stories. The article looks at journalism as...
Kever, 2004
... Toiminnanteoreettisen tutkimuksen teemaryhmä aloittanut toimintansa KeVerissä. Pirjo Lambert,... more ... Toiminnanteoreettisen tutkimuksen teemaryhmä aloittanut toimintansa KeVerissä. Pirjo Lambert, Merja Helle. Koko artikkeli: HTML.
Discourse & Society, 2014
ABSTRACT
