The (re)presentation of journalist on Twitter: Keys to the construction of professional digital identity

Abstract

This research examines the self-presentation performed by journalism professionals on their Twitter profiles. Based on the dramaturgical approach to social interaction proposed by Erving Goffman (1971), we designed a content analysis that was conducted on a census sample of 1,207 Twitter accounts of journalists that work for four leading Spanish news organizations: two newspapers (El País and El Mundo), and two digital-native news outlets (Eldiario.es and ElConfidencial.com). The identity construction studied was divided into professional, personal, interactive, and activity-related dimensions. Our conclusions support that journalists place professional aspects before intimate ones, an ‘appearance’ that contributes to a clear occupational identification. Although their participatory ‘manners’ are limited, the ‘performance’ described by the interdependencies between their social activity metrics –join date, number of followers, following, tweets, or likes– is relevant to delimit opportunities for interaction with an active audience.