Is cultural journalism in crisis? A case studyMarisa Torres da Silva & Dora Santos SilvaNew University of Lisbon, Portugal (FCSH/UNL)

JSS-ECREA 2014. Thessaloniki, 29 March 2014

Cultural journalism

“A very complex area of heterogeneous media, genres and products that deal with creative, critic, media or reproductive purposes fine arts, belles-lettres, currents of thought, social sciences and humanities, the so-called popular culture and many other aspects that have to do with the production, circulation and consumption of symbolic goods” (Rivera, 2003).

“A continuum between art, popular culture, lifestyle and consumption" (Kristensen, 2010)

From “cultural journalism” to “journalism on culture” (Janssen, 2008; From, 2009; Santos Silva, 2012)

Cultural journalism and creative industries

Creative industries combine "the convergence concept and practice of creative arts (individual talent) with the cultural industries (mass scale), in the context of new media technologies within the knowledge economy and designated for use by citizens and interactive consumers” (Hartley, 2005).

Cultural, lifestyle and consumer journalism

The blurring boundaries between cultural, lifestyle and consumer journalism are challenging existing definitions of cultural journalism as a distinct journalistic object (Kristensen & From, 2012).

Cultural journalism as a promoter of lifestyles, suggesting what readers should read, hear and see (Franco, 2013; Hanusch, 2012).

Aim and scope of the study

Is cultural journalism in crisis? Or are we nowadays facing new opportunities within cultural journalism?

Portuguese newsmagazine (Visão) and its supplement (Visão Sete) as a case study – three-month period (October-December 2013 – 13 issues)

Vision/scope of culture in the section “Culture” in Visão (and whether matches the recent contributions of academia to cultural journalism definition) and the position of its cultural supplement Visão Sete

VisãoThe first issue of Visão magazine hit newsstands on 25th March 1993 and emerged as a project with the ambition to overcome the lack of newsmagazines in Portugal. Currently there are two newsmagazines published in Portugal: Visão and Sábado.

The culture section of Visão has an average of 12 pages. It opens with a major piece; it has an average of two other main pieces; the other pages include short news, a “person” section, and sections dedicated to a cultural theme.

Visão SeteThe newsmagazine supplement, called Visão Sete has an average of 32 pages. In the end of 2011, it approached the current concept: it is now presented as the “best guide to eat, go out and see”.

It has three main sections – “Eat”, “Go out” and “See”.

The section “Eat” has seven subsections : To buy | Design | Restaurants | Trends | Wines | Recipes| Gourmet.

The section “Go Out” has eight subsections: To buy | Design | Night| Children | Outdoor | Gadgets | Music| Fashion.

The section “See” has seven subsections: Movies| Cinemas | Music| Theater| Dance | Exhibitions | TV.

Results and discussion – Main trends

There is still a misconception of culture is or isn´t –

an identity crisis?

The culture section of this newsmagazine has a an approach of culture related to its artistic manifestations, but where music, cinema and literature have the main cover.

Whenever there is a story with a cultural background, but with a “way of life”, historical or sociological approach, it doesn´t appear in the culture section, but, instead, in the “society” section.

Results and discussion – Main trends

The culture section has a very conservative approach (the other scopes of culture are

regarded to the supplement)

Music (40% - 50 out of a total of 125 news pieces), Cinema (18% - 23 out of 125) and Literature (23% - 29 out of 125) are the three main areas covered and account for 81% of all themes covered (102 out of 125)

Other areas like design, photography, dance or urban art are almost absent.

Results and discussion – Main trends

Absence of critic

Cultural journalism is fostered, in a great measure, by the dynamics of the cultural industries, such as releases and distribution (Golin & Cardoso, 2009)

The critique is absent of the pages of Visão. In the supplement, critique was substituted by simple reviews or commentaries, with a consumerist point of view.

Results and discussion – Main trends

The other perspective of culture – the supplement Visão Sete

A) Focus on guides

In a total of 13 front covers, 11 are included in the “Go out” section; of these 11 covers, all are related with the concept of guide.

Contemporary cultural journalism and “coolhunting”: orientating audiences in their lifestyle choices (Franco, 2013), providing them with information and advice about goods and services they can use in their daily lives (Hanusch, 2012).

Results and discussion – Main trends

The other perspective of culture – the supplement Visão Sete

B) Focus on creativity and innovation in the cultural goods

Major focus on: Portuguese creativity; Portuguese brands that were refreshed; Portuguese gastronomy; Innovative shows, cinema festivals and other initiatives that are driven by the concept of creativity.

Main conclusions

Culture section: still looking for its position.

Other views of culture are explored in the supplement – but the approach is restricted to a consumerist and lifestyle perspective.