Någon som ser dig : en kvalitativ intervjustudie om skånska journalisters syn på lokaljournalistikens värde

Sammanfattning: Local and community journalism in Sweden has for the past decades been in an evident decline with great economical losses being reported year after year. This brings the question of the actual value produced by this kind of journalism. Studies on this phenomenon has been carried out through different methodical approaches with different conclusions and results throughout the world and in Sweden as well. This study aims to get an understanding of the actual value of local journalism perceived through the eyes of those who produce it by conducting interviews with said journalists and then to proceed with a qualitative analysis of the gathered data. To further narrow the scope of this study the all the interviewed reporters are from Scania. The gathered empirical data is then reviewed through theoretical perspectives such as participatory journalism, journalistic roles and ideals, ritual perspectives on journalism and media convergence. To further place this study in the field it also lists similar studies but in different geographical areas and with different methodical approaches. The findings this study does is that the local journalism in Scania is tightly connected to its community and that the very defining quality of its being is that of a local news outlet. It further shows that the interviewed reporters value their role as an educator of the public by local political coverage. However, the study has also invited the interviewed reporters to reason around how to maintain this value where numerous aspects such as participatory journalism, scrutiny, sense of community and ideals of public information were pointed out.