Closed doors, empty desks : The declining material conditions
of the Czech local print newsroom

J 2020

Closed doors, empty desks : The declining material conditions of the Czech local print newsroom

METYKOVÁ, Monika and Lenka WASCHKOVÁ CÍSAŘOVÁ

Basic information

Original name

Closed doors, empty desks : The declining material conditions of the Czech local print newsroom

Authors

METYKOVÁ, Monika (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Lenka WASCHKOVÁ CÍSAŘOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies, Bristol, Itellect, 2020, 2001-0818

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

50801 Journalism

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL URL

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14230/20:00115520

Organization unit

Faculty of Social Studies

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/ajms_00009_1

UT WoS

000526948700002

Keywords in English

Czech Republic; Vltava Labe Media; autonomy; local journalism crisis; local newspapers; material conditions

Abstract

V originále

The crisis of journalism has been the subject of extensive scholarly and public debate. We argue that this debate needs to focus on actual developments on the ground that may be specific for a given society and that have serious consequences for the material conditions of journalists' work. We focus specifically on local print newsrooms in the Czech Republic, one of the 'new democracies' of Eastern Europe. We interviewed local journalists in middle-management positions at key stages of the transformation of the local newspaper publishing group Vltava Labe Press (VLP). We first approached journalists in 2015 when VLP's German owners - the publishing house Verlagsgruppe Passau - sold the company to the Slovak investment group Penta and followed up a year later when the 're-structuralization' of the local newspaper publisher was completed. It is not surprising that our case study demonstrates that commercial pressures impact directly on the material conditions and the locations and spaces of journalists' work, with the latter ones representing areas that form a crucial part of workplace autonomy, but have thus far been under-researched.

Citovat

METYKOVÁ, Monika and Lenka WASCHKOVÁ CÍSAŘOVÁ. Closed doors, empty desks : The declining material conditions of the Czech local print newsroom. Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies. Bristol: Itellect, 2020, vol. 9, No 1, p. 21-38. ISSN 2001-0818. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1386/ajms_00009_1.

@article{1645298,
   author = {Metyková, Monika and Waschková Císařová, Lenka},
   article_location = {Bristol},
   article_number = {1},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/ajms_00009_1},
   keywords = {Czech Republic; Vltava Labe Media; autonomy; local journalism crisis; local newspapers; material conditions},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {2001-0818},
   journal = {Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies},
   title = {Closed doors, empty desks : The declining material conditions of the Czech local print newsroom},
   url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/ajms_00009_1},
   volume = {9},
   year = {2020}
}

TY  - JOUR
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AU  - Metyková, Monika - Waschková Císařová, Lenka
PY  - 2020
TI  - Closed doors, empty desks : The declining material conditions of the Czech local print newsroom
JF  - Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies
VL  - 9
IS  - 1
SP  - 21-38
EP  - 21-38
PB  - Itellect
SN  - 20010818
KW  - Czech Republic
KW  - Vltava Labe Media
KW  - autonomy
KW  - local journalism crisis
KW  - local newspapers
KW  - material conditions
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/ajms_00009_1
N2  - The crisis of journalism has been the subject of extensive scholarly and public debate. We argue that this debate needs to focus on actual developments on the ground that may be specific for a given society and that have serious consequences for the material conditions of journalists' work. We focus specifically on local print newsrooms in the Czech Republic, one of the 'new democracies' of Eastern Europe. We interviewed local journalists in middle-management positions at key stages of the transformation of the local newspaper publishing group Vltava Labe Press (VLP). We first approached journalists in 2015 when VLP's German owners - the publishing house Verlagsgruppe Passau - sold the company to the Slovak investment group Penta and followed up a year later when the 're-structuralization' of the local newspaper publisher was completed. It is not surprising that our case study demonstrates that commercial pressures impact directly on the material conditions and the locations and spaces of journalists' work, with the latter ones representing areas that form a crucial part of workplace autonomy, but have thus far been under-researched.
ER  -

METYKOVÁ, Monika and Lenka WASCHKOVÁ CÍSAŘOVÁ. Closed doors, empty desks : The declining material conditions of the Czech local print newsroom. \textit{Journal of Applied Journalism \&{} Media Studies}. Bristol: Itellect, 2020, vol.~9, No~1, p.~21-38. ISSN~2001-0818. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1386/ajms\_{}00009\_{}1.

Detailed Information on Publication Record