<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> This article presents the findings from qualitative interviews with nine Danish council reporters on how they use the Internet for research on council affairs. Through qualitative interviews, the article aims to qualify and expand findings from survey research on journalists’ use of the Internet for research and asks how much value journalists add to information found on the Internet and how important Internet research is compared to other types of research. The journalists interviewed found that the council website was useful as a provider of factual information about the council and a searchable archive of council affairs. Most importantly, the website expands the opportunities for monitoring council affairs. Journalists also found that access to Internet-based information on websites outside the council has improved the quality of their products. Generally, council reporters add context, opinions, and democratic control to information found on the Internet and do not see the Internet as a competitor for audience attention.</p></abstract>

This article presents the findings from qualitative interviews with nine Danish council reporters on how they use the Internet for research on council affairs. Through qualitative interviews, the article aims to qualify and expand findings from survey research on journalists’ use of the Internet for research and asks how much value journalists add to information found on the Internet and how important Internet research is compared to other types of research. The journalists interviewed found that the council website was useful as a provider of factual information about the council and a searchable archive of council affairs. Most importantly, the website expands the opportunities for monitoring council affairs. Journalists also found that access to Internet-based information on websites outside the council has improved the quality of their products. Generally, council reporters add context, opinions, and democratic control to information found on the Internet and do not see the Internet as a competitor for audience attention.

The Value of Internet Research to Danish Council Reporters

PhD., Journalist, External Lecturer at Centre for Corporate Communication, Aarhus School of Business, University of Aarhus, DK-8210 Århus,

Nordicom Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

{"article-title":"The Value of Internet Research to Danish Council Reporters"}

This article presents the findings from qualitative interviews with nine Danish council reporters on how they use the Internet for research on council affairs....

The Value of Internet Research to Danish Council Reporters

Published Online: Feb 14, 2017

Page range: 17 - 28

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0168

Keywords
Internet, journalism, research, council reporting, Denmark, working methods

© by Kirsten Sparre

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The Value of Internet Research to Danish Council Reporters

Published Online: Feb 14, 2017

Page range: 17 - 28

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0168

KeywordsInternet, journalism, research, council reporting, Denmark, working methods

© by Kirsten Sparre

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Internet, journalism, research, council reporting, Denmark, working methods