THE IMPACT OF NEWSROOMS' DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ON MEDIA ORGANISATIONS AND AUDIENCES CASE STUDY: AL JAZEERA MEDIA NETWORK (2006-2020)

Abstract

Recent modifications in technology and innovation are considered nowadays to have dramatically changed the media scene. Developments in the Internet and social media platforms have provided users with unprecedented opportunities for fast communication, news reporting and sharing multi-media content. This reality has challenged the customary traditional media ways of gathering and disseminating information, and therefore provided for alternative voices to be heard. This piece of research sets out to analyse the extent to which Al Jazeera Network has capitalised, in its news reporting and other programme generation. on the digital transformation between 2006 and 2020, through the employment of technological innovation and online presence in its structure and practices, in order to enhance its audience outreach and impact. It also compares the effects of Al Jazeera's programmes on its audience, both before and after this digital transformation. Fieldwork data have been gathered through a mixed method of qualitative and quantitative tools. In-depth interviews and survey questionnaires were conducted, so as to comprehend the benefits and challenges that the digital transformation brought to the media industry, as well as to understand how the audience's behaviour has changed over the past few years. The overall results of this research reveal that Al Jazeera's digital transformation - despite a few challenges - has enabled it to remain relevant and competitive in the rapidly changing media landscape, and to better serve its audiences, by providing high-quality journalism and engaging content. The network has undergone a radical digital transition, driven by a variety of factors, including innovation, development of solutions, increased efficiency, distribution, newsgathering, mobility, and trending. The newsroom underwent diverse changes throughout this voyage, including alterations to the production stage's diversity of news sources, and the presentation stage's requirement for source verification. The fieldwork results also show that the digital transformation has changed the structure of the newsroom, as it has added a new dimension related to the involvement of the digital editorial team within the room. In addition, it has helped in the amendment of human resource specifications for traditional journalists, as well as the speed in implementing projects, and has contributed to the development and standardisation of publishing systems. Moreover, the digital transformation has affected the culture of the newsroom, which has become more open and flexible, although this flexibility has come in stages. Nowadays, Al Jazeera Media Network employs staff from about ninety nationalities, and it is considered to be the most diverse among media institutions worldwide. This was the most prominent result found in measuring the impact of digital transformation on newsrooms. As for measuring this impact on audiences, results show that Al Jazeera's audiences have included viewers who are better educated, especially those with higher education. Also, Al Jazeera seems to have attracted more female audiences to its loyal followers, but fewer and fewer young people. The youth seem to constitute the audience section least satisfied with Al Jazeera's newsroom engagement.