RESEARCH STATEMENT
My research interest focuses on journalists' identities and how they present their identities online. Even though the concept of identity has been studied for a long time, it is still considered a complex concept and there is not much agreement on how to identify it or what the dimensions of identity are (Brekhus, 2020). Identity helps people to understand who they are, how they relate to their community, to their background or to others, thus helping people to make sense of the world and their social life (Brekhus, 2020; Goffman, 1959).
Two concepts related to identity that are usually used are self identity and collective identity. Self identity is the process of how one identifies themselves based on their own characteristics. Collective identity is how one relates to environmental factors, such as race, gender, background, community, organization and even nationality (Brekhus, 2020). Looking at identity through a sociological lens, Brekhus (2020) explores three themes surrounding it: authenticity, multidimensionality and mobility. He acknowledges that identity has several dimensions, and some are the common ground of self identity and collective identity and that one’s identities can change through time and places.
Another aspect of identity is how it might change depending on who the person perceives as their audiences (Goffman, 1959). It is suggested that a person might present their identity differently with their family, their friends, or their boss and colleagues. In the case of social media, people create an imaginary audience and adjust their presentation of identity based on their own definition of who their audience is (Molyneux, 2019).
When using social media, journalists need to balance between their identity, the expectations of the audience, and the expectations of managers. Some journalists have expressed they have experienced a sense of “identity loss.” I want to explore how journalists perceive their identity as a whole and how they negotiate between their personal and professional identities. Of additional significance are what factors affect their perception and presentation, especially how organizations are involved in that process through formal and informal social media policy.
My research also explores the similarities and differences in the perception of managers and journalists regarding identity and self-presentation. Management studies have pointed out that journalists are knowledge workers and it is harder to incorporate them into the innovation process. On the other hand, managers are slow to adapt to change. including adaptation to social media. Thus, my approach to research is to study both groups and compare their perceptions to see what they agree and what they disagree.
Through my research, I hope to contribute to the important, but yet still limited in scope, areas of journalistic branding and identity. With my approach of studying both managers and journalists, my research will try to point out any similarities and differences in the two groups, thus adding to the existing media management literature. I also recognize that my research will bring professional impact, where both news managers and journalists can figure out a best approach to tackle the opportunities and risks that social media bring to the field, as well as what management tactics that should be implemented.
I have been interested in both journalism and strategic communication since I was in high school. I was lucky to declare both as my majors for my undergraduate degree and have had a chance to explore both fields. My research interest was originally built around how journalists have begun incorporating social media into their professional practices. My first research project was done during my senior year, when I received a grant to explore how to successfully brand the student newscast at the University of Central Oklahoma over social media. The primary goal of this project was to attract more viewers, as Facebook was the primary platform from which we engaged with our viewers. During the project, I had the opportunity to interview and shadow several digital media managers and journalists at local news stations and learn about their operations and their policies. Besides other findings regarding best practices, I also found that there is much disconnection between managers and journalists – with managers thinking journalists know about social media policies, while journalists say they still need to figure everything out by themselves.
This undergraduate project sparked my interest in media management and policy, which was the focus of my work during my graduate degree. I pursued a media management certificate along with my master’s degree at the University of Oklahoma, allowing me to explore areas such as organizational behavior and communication. My master's thesis explored the perceptions of managers and journalists on (1) the opportunities and risks of social media, (2) professionalism in relation to social media, (3) managers' roles relating to social media usage and oversight in the newsroom, and (4) social media policy. The findings revealed that managers and journalists have different perceptions on social media in the newsroom, and highlighted how those differences might create conflicts between their expectations of each other. A paper which is a part of my thesis won the Top Paper Award from the Media Management, Economics and Euntrepereships at the AEJMC annual conference.
There are several areas from the findings of my thesis that I plan to continue to explore in my future research. Journalists are either expected or required to use social media to build their brand, but they face several risks in engaging over social media such as online harassment. Journalists in my thesis mentioned that they have very little resources and support from their managers. Online harassment in journalism has been receiving a lot of attention from research, but little has targeted the influence of management on that issue.
In addition, when building their brand online, journalists need to balance between their identity, the expectations of the audience, and the expectations of managers. Some journalists have expressed they experience a sense of “identity loss” as a result of balancing those expectations. My explication paper was accepted at the 2022 AEJMC annual conference, exploring the topic of the boundaries between personal identity and professional identity, an area that is still blurry and undefined. A major takeaway from that is if journalists cross that very blurry and undefined line, they might face the risk of getting fired. Building on the idea of branding/self-presentation online, I want to explore several areas where journalists express themselves, including through their social media biographies and profile pictures.
I’m working on a paper exploring the perceptions of managers and journalists regarding social media disclaimers such as “my tweets are my own” or “retweets are not endorsements.” Those disclaimers are supposed to address some ethical and professional values, such as objectivity and transparency, as outlined in some social media policies. Researchers and professionals have shown skeptics regarding the effectiveness of those disclaimers, but journalists still commonly include those disclaimers in their social media biographies.
Another study I'm working on is regarding how journalists perceive and present their identity through photos. Research has shown that journalists are more likely to show their professional identity online through their social media biographies and profile photos. However, as journalists also express their experience of identity loss, I'm curious to see if how they present themselves online matches with how they perceive their identity. If not, I’m interested in researching what factors affect their online self-presentation. In addition, I'm curious about whether different groups of journalists (groups based on age, genders, races, newsroom roles, etc.) will have different perceptions regarding their identity and different ways they use to present it.
Regarding methods, I’m interested in both quantitative and qualitative. Research regarding my interests usually uses qualitative methods, but I recognize that I can incorporate quantitative methods to elevate my research. I already took one quantitative methods and one qualitative methods class and plan to take advanced courses in both areas.