Re-establishing the relationship with the public: Regional journalism and citizens' involvement in the news

Abstract

Public journalism is viewed by many as a solution to the decreasing media presence and public involvement in regional news media. Core values in this approach are public deliberation, participation, and connectedness. This study investigates the added value of a citizen-centred approach to journalism routines and news content in a collaborative regional media project in the Netherlands. Data were gathered using observations, interviews, and content analyses. Results show that even in a newly created news environment, existing journalistic routines largely prevent incorporation of a bottom-up approach in daily news production. Furthermore, active citizenship does not seem to be common: citizens did not participate readily in news production. While news content shows a greater focus on local communities and citizen sources, citizen sources were overwhelmingly used in vox pops rather than more active roles in which their expertise, experience, or specific knowledge was relevant.