Information-seeking behavior and the perceptions of information channels by journalists of two daily metropolitan newspapers
By: by Nancy L. Herron.
Publisher: University Microfilms International
Published: 1987
Place of publication: Ann Arbor, Mich
Language: eng
Format: Microform
Subjects: Journalism -- Information services.
Description: In the last decade the large metropolitan newspaper has
   undergone an extensive transformation from a largely manual
   operation to a fully automated system where display terminals link
   departments and personnel.  Although most publishing processes have
   been transformed via computer applications, often the newspaper
   library has been the last department to experience change.  In order
   to develop in-house information systems to be used by newspaper
   journalists for information retrieval in the course of their
   day-to-day work, planners require data about the information-seeking
   behavior of different types of journalists and how they search for,
   use, and verify information available to them from inside and
   outside the newspaper organization.
       This study was undertaken to provide descriptive data about how
   newspaper journalists perceive information channels and the source
   types within them in the course of producing copy for the daily
   newspaper.
       Data was collected from the staffs of the two daily metropolitan
   Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, newspapers by survey questionnaire, and
   data analysis centered around four major variables.  Frequency of
   use, the pivotal variable established information use patterns for
   the six area of journalistic specialty, and the three source
   performance variables, (a) ease of use, (b) degree of reliability,
   and (c) degree of accessibility were examined from the perspective
   of channel use and use of the source types within formal and
   informal information channels.
       The findings revealed that the newspaper journalists surveyed
   preferred informal channel use over formal channel use two to one,
   and that personal communication especially with colleagues was the
   most important factor across all six areas of journalistic specialty.
   While journalists were relatively consistent in their use of the
   various source types, there was diversity in the way different types
   of journalists look for and use information sources.
       Although reliability of channel and source types use was
   perceived to be important to journalists, ease of use and
   accessibility tend most to affect frequency of use.
       Future developments involving the library as intermediary
   between electronic networks and the newspaper organization offer
   promise for in-house system designers as a solution to problems of
   accessiblity and ease of use.
Notes: Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Pittsburgh, 1986.

Includes bibliography.
Table of contents: class: section