Die Zukunft der Zeitungen beschäftigt aktuelle viele, Praktiker wie Politiker oder Wissenschaftler. Nicht zuletzt habe ich mich selbst im Rahmen der Vortragsreihe wOrt 2010 der FHS St. Gallen und auch aktuell im Rahmen des Projekts “Bewertung von Geschäftsmodellen für regionale Medienhäuser” mit dem Thema beschäftigt.

In der aktuellen Ausgabe des Journals The Information Society (Volume 26, Issue 4 July 2010) wird ein lesenwerter Artikel zum Thema publiziert: “The Future of the Press: Insights from the Sociotechnical Approach” (DOI 10.1080/01972243.2010.489500)*.

Die Autoren verstehen den Journalismus als soziotechnisches System und untersuchen die (Macht-) Beziehungen zwischen Journalisten, Verlagen, Herausgebern und den Lesern.

Abstract des Artikels:

“In Europe and the United States, the decline of newspapers started long before the advent of the Internet. However, the spread of the Internet has accelerated this decline. But is the future of newspapers really endangered? To answer this question, the authors propose that a reflection on the insights the sociotechnical system perspective, drawn from organizational studies, can offer for media research. The authors first analyze four of the main principles of the sociotechnical perspective: open systems, dynamic stability, optimization of technical and social functions, and control of boundaries. They then employ these analytical tools to examine the power relationships between journalists, the publishers, editors, and the audiences. The sociotechnical approach proves to be an interesting approach for the interpretation of the changes occurring in the journalism and for the elaboration of future solutions and management strategies.”

Und die Schlussfolgerungen der Autoren:

“Sociotechnical analysis rather suggests development of approaches that take care of the new role of audiences and journalists and aspire to really serve (also) their interests and aspirations. This may lead to the development of a new conception of newspapers, in which workers contribute with their specific, and acknowledged, professionalism to multidisciplinary teams; contents are shaped by the active presence of audiences; and press rooms are designed to include the ever-evolving opportunities provided by the Internet and by the next technologies.”