< Back to previous page
Publication
On the performativity of journalistic identity
Journal Contribution - Journal Article
The concept of "ritual" has played an important role in research
within mass media and journalism studies in the last decades. Both
ethnographic and anthropological research in media studies has devoted
attention to an elaboration of its theoretical scope. However, as this
paper argues, reading the concept in the perspective of Butler's
theory of performativity can considerably deepen our understanding of
the relation between rituals and journalistic identity. As such, the
paper wishes to re-evaluate important work in the field of newsroom
ethnography and aims to show to what extent rituals at the same time
constitute the occupational values of journalists and may offer them a
way of subverting the dominant journalistic paradigm.
within mass media and journalism studies in the last decades. Both
ethnographic and anthropological research in media studies has devoted
attention to an elaboration of its theoretical scope. However, as this
paper argues, reading the concept in the perspective of Butler's
theory of performativity can considerably deepen our understanding of
the relation between rituals and journalistic identity. As such, the
paper wishes to re-evaluate important work in the field of newsroom
ethnography and aims to show to what extent rituals at the same time
constitute the occupational values of journalists and may offer them a
way of subverting the dominant journalistic paradigm.
Journal: Journalism Practice
ISSN: 1751-2786
Issue: 4
Volume: 5
Pages: 399-413
Publication year:2011
Keywords:Butler, journalistic identity, performativity, (strategic) ritual