Network Ethnography in Journalism Studies: A Mixed-Method Approach to Studying Media Ecologies

Abstract

This article details a mixed-method technique called network ethnography, coined (though not invented) by Philip Howard in 2002, as it is applied to two cases documenting media ecologies in journalism studies. We map the news information flows – its influences, power dynamics, and obstacles – in Philadelphia, PA, and Madison, WI. The mix of locational sampling, formal network analysis, and triangulated news community ethnographies allow for multiple levels of investigation at the micro-meso-macro tiers of local community. Despite some significant logistical limitations, the method can be scaled according to resources and represents a robust tool for the complex work of journalism studies – especially those exploring news media ecologies, rather than single media organizations – in a digital age.

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