Embracing the unexpected: Exploring the role of serendipity in newswriting

Abstract

This paper explores the role of serendipity in journalistic decision-making. The authors draw on 25 years of newsroom ethnography to introduce the concept of a horizon of foreseeable forthcoming phases (HFFP). This concept encompasses the potential next steps that journalists envision in their text production processes, based on the decisions they already made. The authors then analyze two complementary cases to illustrate how serendipity can influence journalistic decision-making. In the Bishop case, Type I serendipity opens up a valuable alternative to the journalist’s planning, leading them to pursue a new story. In contrast, in the Leba case, Type II serendipity is essential to helping the journalist overcome a seemingly hopeless situation. The authors conclude by arguing that serendipitous moments and the resulting emergent solutions hold the potential to reshape journalistic practices and routines, both on the micro level of text production, and on the macro level of professional development. They emphasize the growing importance of serendipity in times where human intelligence competes with algorithms.

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