Sherwin Chua | Nanyang Technological University (original) (raw)
Papers by Sherwin Chua
Online Media and Global Communication, 2022
Purpose Publishers are innovating their practices in the face of global platform companies’ growi... more Purpose Publishers are innovating their practices in the face of global platform companies’ growing dominance on journalism. This study examines how publishers innovate their editorially oriented activities vis-à-vis third-party platforms with respect to six stages of news production. In doing so, this article introduces and advances platform configuration as a conceptual framework. Design/methodology/approach This five-year longitudinal case study of a Singaporean legacy news publisher uses a mix-method qualitative approach. It includes in-depth interviews with 35 staff, newsroom observations and close monitoring of the publisher’s website and apps. Findings This study offers three key findings about the publisher’s platform configuration. First, multidirectionality: the publisher simultaneously leveraged on platforms’ capacities (building platform presence), while also reducing dependence on them (platform counterbalancing). Second, specificity: the publisher added, removed and/or...
Journalism convergence scholarship has been criticized for failing to keep pace with the rapid tr... more Journalism convergence scholarship has been criticized for failing to keep pace with the rapid transformations in newsrooms. Multidimensional news convergence frameworks, in particular, have been critiqued for being inadequate in explaining convergence for two reasons. Firstly, they have become outdated as journalism has been evolving at a blistering pace in tandem with advancements in communication technology. Secondly, they remain focused on large, traditional media organisations, and has neglected online news start-ups. This thesis proposes an updated multidimensional news convergence framework that includes five dimensions-business convergence; technological convergence; convergence of contents; professional convergence; and convergence with the audience-and applies it to the examination of legacy media and digital news start-ups in Singapore. Through three case studies that include one legacy newspaper (The Straits Times) and two digital news start-ups (The Middle Ground and The Online Citizen), in-depth interviews with 19 journalists, and a content analysis of 762 online news articles, this study finds that both types of organisations similarly exhibit most of the news convergence characteristics outlined by the news convergence paradigm. However, nuanced dissimilarities in each organisation have been observed. These include the manner in which resources are allocated to enhance their digital capabilities, their platform publishing strategies and work processes, and the degree to which they require their journalists to be polyvalent in journalistic skills. This study has also observed new traits of convergence that better explain current journalistic praxes in the news companies. To meet the demands of online journalism, each company has evolved new, distinct traits and practices that enhance their multimedia digital news production and distribution, such as leveraging on novel TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………..i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………...iii TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………...iv LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………..vi
Media and Communication
This study synthesises two analytical frameworks—journalistic strangers and agents of media innov... more This study synthesises two analytical frameworks—journalistic strangers and agents of media innovation—to examine how perceptions among newsworkers towards new entrants to their field shape the normalisation of innovations in a digital-first legacy news organisation over three years. Based on two rounds of interviews, it finds that peripheral players are gradually recognised for their contributions to journalism by traditional actors. Nonetheless, as barriers between the two groups lower, tensions involving dissonant professional perspectives, practices, and jurisdictions surface and are negotiated. The findings indicate a growing salience of hybrid roles in newsrooms that serve as linchpins to connect divergent professional fields, and more importantly, as bridges between tradition and innovation. Based on the increasing importance of collaboration and hybrid roles, this study makes a theoretical and practical contribution to research and media management by proposing that four for...
Online Media and Global Communication, 2022
Purpose: Publishers are innovating their practices in the face of global platform companies' grow... more Purpose: Publishers are innovating their practices in the face of global platform companies' growing dominance on journalism. This study examines how publishers innovate their editorially oriented activities vis-à-vis third-party platforms with respect to six stages of news production. In doing so, this article introduces and advances platform configuration as a conceptual framework. Design/methodology/approach: This five-year longitudinal case study of a Singaporean legacy news publisher uses a mix-method qualitative approach. It includes in-depth interviews with 35 staff, newsroom observations and close monitoring of the publisher's website and apps. Findings: This study offers three key findings about the publisher's platform configuration. First, multidirectionality: the publisher simultaneously leveraged on platforms' capacities (building platform presence), while also reducing dependence on them (platform counterbalancing). Second, specificity: the publisher added, removed and/or modified editorially oriented activities with respect to the six stages of news production. Third, commitment: the publisher calibrated its Article Note: This article underwent double-blind peer review.
Media and Communication
Digital journalism studies have done little in terms of studying longitudinally the interrelation... more Digital journalism studies have done little in terms of studying longitudinally the interrelationships between emerging technology and convergent news practices. This study addresses that void by using a sensemaking approach to examine how emerging technology was appropriated and enacted in the convergent news activities of newsworkers, and how they made sense of the emerging technologies over two and a half years. Our study analyzes two newsrooms in Singapore: 1) a digital-first legacy newspaper, and 2) an independent digital-only news startup. This article employs the Infotendencias Group’s (2012) analytical framework and its four dimensions of news convergence: i) business, ii) professional, iii) technological, and iv) contents. Additionally, it proposes and employs a fifth dimension: v) audience-centric engagement. The fifth dimension is based on the concept of “measurable journalism” (Carlson, 2018), analyzing how its actors influence the relationship between newsrooms and thei...
Media and Communication
Digital journalism studies have done little in terms of studying longitudinally the interrelation... more Digital journalism studies have done little in terms of studying longitudinally the interrelationships between emerging technology and convergent news practices. This study addresses that void by using a sensemaking approach to examine how emerging technology was appropriated and enacted in the convergent news activities of newsworkers, and how they made sense of the emerging technologies over two and a half years. Our study analyzes two newsrooms in Singapore: 1) a digital-first legacy newspaper, and 2) an independent digital-only news startup. This article employs the Infotendencias Group’s (2012) analytical framework and its four dimensions of news convergence: i) business, ii) professional, iii) technological, and iv) contents. Additionally, it proposes and employs a fifth dimension: v) audience-centric engagement. The fifth dimension is based on the concept of “measurable journalism” (Carlson, 2018), analyzing how its actors influence the relationship between newsrooms and thei...
Online Media and Global Communication, 2022
Purpose Publishers are innovating their practices in the face of global platform companies’ growi... more Purpose Publishers are innovating their practices in the face of global platform companies’ growing dominance on journalism. This study examines how publishers innovate their editorially oriented activities vis-à-vis third-party platforms with respect to six stages of news production. In doing so, this article introduces and advances platform configuration as a conceptual framework. Design/methodology/approach This five-year longitudinal case study of a Singaporean legacy news publisher uses a mix-method qualitative approach. It includes in-depth interviews with 35 staff, newsroom observations and close monitoring of the publisher’s website and apps. Findings This study offers three key findings about the publisher’s platform configuration. First, multidirectionality: the publisher simultaneously leveraged on platforms’ capacities (building platform presence), while also reducing dependence on them (platform counterbalancing). Second, specificity: the publisher added, removed and/or...
Journalism convergence scholarship has been criticized for failing to keep pace with the rapid tr... more Journalism convergence scholarship has been criticized for failing to keep pace with the rapid transformations in newsrooms. Multidimensional news convergence frameworks, in particular, have been critiqued for being inadequate in explaining convergence for two reasons. Firstly, they have become outdated as journalism has been evolving at a blistering pace in tandem with advancements in communication technology. Secondly, they remain focused on large, traditional media organisations, and has neglected online news start-ups. This thesis proposes an updated multidimensional news convergence framework that includes five dimensions-business convergence; technological convergence; convergence of contents; professional convergence; and convergence with the audience-and applies it to the examination of legacy media and digital news start-ups in Singapore. Through three case studies that include one legacy newspaper (The Straits Times) and two digital news start-ups (The Middle Ground and The Online Citizen), in-depth interviews with 19 journalists, and a content analysis of 762 online news articles, this study finds that both types of organisations similarly exhibit most of the news convergence characteristics outlined by the news convergence paradigm. However, nuanced dissimilarities in each organisation have been observed. These include the manner in which resources are allocated to enhance their digital capabilities, their platform publishing strategies and work processes, and the degree to which they require their journalists to be polyvalent in journalistic skills. This study has also observed new traits of convergence that better explain current journalistic praxes in the news companies. To meet the demands of online journalism, each company has evolved new, distinct traits and practices that enhance their multimedia digital news production and distribution, such as leveraging on novel TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………..i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………...iii TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………...iv LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………..vi
Media and Communication
This study synthesises two analytical frameworks—journalistic strangers and agents of media innov... more This study synthesises two analytical frameworks—journalistic strangers and agents of media innovation—to examine how perceptions among newsworkers towards new entrants to their field shape the normalisation of innovations in a digital-first legacy news organisation over three years. Based on two rounds of interviews, it finds that peripheral players are gradually recognised for their contributions to journalism by traditional actors. Nonetheless, as barriers between the two groups lower, tensions involving dissonant professional perspectives, practices, and jurisdictions surface and are negotiated. The findings indicate a growing salience of hybrid roles in newsrooms that serve as linchpins to connect divergent professional fields, and more importantly, as bridges between tradition and innovation. Based on the increasing importance of collaboration and hybrid roles, this study makes a theoretical and practical contribution to research and media management by proposing that four for...
Online Media and Global Communication, 2022
Purpose: Publishers are innovating their practices in the face of global platform companies' grow... more Purpose: Publishers are innovating their practices in the face of global platform companies' growing dominance on journalism. This study examines how publishers innovate their editorially oriented activities vis-à-vis third-party platforms with respect to six stages of news production. In doing so, this article introduces and advances platform configuration as a conceptual framework. Design/methodology/approach: This five-year longitudinal case study of a Singaporean legacy news publisher uses a mix-method qualitative approach. It includes in-depth interviews with 35 staff, newsroom observations and close monitoring of the publisher's website and apps. Findings: This study offers three key findings about the publisher's platform configuration. First, multidirectionality: the publisher simultaneously leveraged on platforms' capacities (building platform presence), while also reducing dependence on them (platform counterbalancing). Second, specificity: the publisher added, removed and/or modified editorially oriented activities with respect to the six stages of news production. Third, commitment: the publisher calibrated its Article Note: This article underwent double-blind peer review.
Media and Communication
Digital journalism studies have done little in terms of studying longitudinally the interrelation... more Digital journalism studies have done little in terms of studying longitudinally the interrelationships between emerging technology and convergent news practices. This study addresses that void by using a sensemaking approach to examine how emerging technology was appropriated and enacted in the convergent news activities of newsworkers, and how they made sense of the emerging technologies over two and a half years. Our study analyzes two newsrooms in Singapore: 1) a digital-first legacy newspaper, and 2) an independent digital-only news startup. This article employs the Infotendencias Group’s (2012) analytical framework and its four dimensions of news convergence: i) business, ii) professional, iii) technological, and iv) contents. Additionally, it proposes and employs a fifth dimension: v) audience-centric engagement. The fifth dimension is based on the concept of “measurable journalism” (Carlson, 2018), analyzing how its actors influence the relationship between newsrooms and thei...
Media and Communication
Digital journalism studies have done little in terms of studying longitudinally the interrelation... more Digital journalism studies have done little in terms of studying longitudinally the interrelationships between emerging technology and convergent news practices. This study addresses that void by using a sensemaking approach to examine how emerging technology was appropriated and enacted in the convergent news activities of newsworkers, and how they made sense of the emerging technologies over two and a half years. Our study analyzes two newsrooms in Singapore: 1) a digital-first legacy newspaper, and 2) an independent digital-only news startup. This article employs the Infotendencias Group’s (2012) analytical framework and its four dimensions of news convergence: i) business, ii) professional, iii) technological, and iv) contents. Additionally, it proposes and employs a fifth dimension: v) audience-centric engagement. The fifth dimension is based on the concept of “measurable journalism” (Carlson, 2018), analyzing how its actors influence the relationship between newsrooms and thei...