News from YouTube: professional incorporation in Hong Kong newspaper coverage of online videos

Abstract

This study examines newspaper coverage of online videos in Hong Kong. Drawing upon the extant literature on media usages of online user-generated content, newspaper coverage of online videos is expected to exhibit signs of professional incorporation and content standardization over time. Findings from content and textual analyses show that Hong Kong newspapers seldom based their judgment of the newsworthiness of online videos solely on the videos’ online currency. Rather, newspapers used the reporting of online videos to meet a variety of existing professional and/or organizational needs, such as filling news space, reporting on newsworthy events, performing as a watchdog, and representing public opinion. Furthermore, the contents of the reported videos and the sourcing patterns in the news coverage of different newspapers showed signs of standardization over time. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of how mainstream media coverage of online videos could shape the social and cultural significance of new media in a society.