Endure, invest, ignore: How French and American journalists react to economic constraints and technological transformations

Abstract

This paper explores journalists' reactions to economic constraints and technological transformations in two cities: Toulouse, France, and Seattle, United States. Through semi-structured interviews, we show that journalists in both places either endure these conditions, invest in them as professional opportunities, or ignore them altogether. Drawing on Bourdieu, we argue that these distinct responses are shaped in part by a journalist's position in the field: those in low positions tend to endure; those in intermediate positions generally invest; and those in high positions are likely to ignore. We also suggest that the meanings of these responses vary according to the distinctive fields in which journalists are embedded, with the reactions of Toulouse journalists generally less market-oriented than their Seattle counterparts. These findings, and the theoretical perspective that enables them, are positioned in relation to case studies that analyze journalists' reactions and comparative survey research that explores similarities and differences in such reactions.