A longitudinal study of convergence journalism in specialized radio

radio marca case

Abstract

This article presents a longitudinal study of convergent journalism in the context of Spanish sports radio and highlights the established journalistic synergies between Radio Marca, Marca newspaper, and the marca.com website. This is an analysis of the only existing case in Spain in which a radio station, a printed newspaper, and a digital media converge under the same commercial brand. A combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques is proposed for the study, which allows for objective data on content production processes and developed explanations. This is achieved through content analysis and an ethnographic observation of journalistic work in the newsroom, completed with a series of in-depth interviews and surveys conducted in two periods that formed two samples. The results show that the newsrooms of the three media establish journalistic synergies facilitated by their location in the same physical workspace, but are not the result of a business strategy. It is suggested that, to facilitate convergence processes, the group design an action plan aimed at increasing synergies and improving the journalistic product.

This is an analysis of the only existing case in Spain in which a radio station, a printed newspaper, and a digital media converge under the same commercial brand.

A combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques is proposed for the study, which allows for objective data on content production processes and developed explanations. This is achieved through content analysis and an ethnographic observation of journalistic work in the newsroom, completed with a series of in-depth interviews and surveys conducted in two periods that formed two samples. The results show that the newsrooms of the three media establish journalistic synergies facilitated by their location in the same physical workspace, but are not the result of a business strategy. It is suggested that, to facilitate convergence processes, the group design an action plan aimed at increasing synergies and improving the journalistic product.