Normalizing traffic: The hierarchical maintenance of the taste for news in mainstream media

ZHANG Xue; TIAN Zihao

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Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication ›› 2023, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (6) : 123-143.

Research Articles

Normalizing traffic: The hierarchical maintenance of the taste for news in mainstream media

ZHANG Xue ,
TIAN Zihao

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Abstract

Traffic is deeply embedded in news work in the digital environment, influencing the fundamental issues of journalism studies. Based on hierarchical model, this study examines how traffic affects news work and organizational culture with the method of in-depth interviews. The conclusion is that traffic has been normalized. Mainstream media accept traffic confrontationally in top-level design. Newsrooms manipulate traffic strategically. News workers ignore traffic by learning unconsciously. Traffic has been co-opted into the traditional news work by the interaction between top-down system design and bottom-up daily work. Theoretically, traffic is positioned in news production, news work and organizational culture from an experimental view. This paper restores the national-social context when discussing the relationship between traffic and the news industry based on mainstream media.

Key words

traffic / news production / news work / mainstream media / performance appraisal

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ZHANG Xue , TIAN Zihao. Normalizing traffic: The hierarchical maintenance of the taste for news in mainstream media[J]. Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication. 2023, 45(6): 123-143

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