Between The Public and The Journalist: The Role of Emotion In Crowdfunded and Advocacy Journalism

Abstract

It is far from a secret that we live at a time when the ever-changing landscape of journalism is being influenced by an influx of amateurs. While modern news reporting characteristically has been done by trained professionals, the ways different actors strategically use emotions to achieve specific goals have become increasingly popular. However, whether readers view alternative channels as trustworthy sources of information or not, there is a growing tendency for professional journalists to set forth and report differently, i.e. to experiment outside traditional editorial walls. What this study aims to conceptualize is how one of these endeavors ought to look like, not the least when one’s dependency switches: relying on readers instead of advertisements and subscriptions by using crowdfunding as a means to find financing.

As the future view of these endeavors are two-folded; meaning that where some scholars see potential (as a remedy for professional journalism), others see threats (blending journalism with partiality and informality), this study’s emphasis lies within a case with a huge following and where the cornerstone of journalism (that of emotion) is at center, namely the case of Swedish Joakim Lamotte. By using a longitudinal study of Lamotte’s Facebook posts from 2014-2017 (applying the theoretical perspective of Cognitive Theory of Emotion where emotions are discussed through the philosophical lens of judgement), findings suggest that even though Lamotte and traditional journalists hold similar ideologies, some ideals in which professional journalists ought to work by are heavily challenged; that Lamotte uses an affective/engaging type of reporting to appeal to his audience; and that the character of his reporting is significantly close to that of populism.