Journalistic Routines and Audiences in Local Media: A Multiple Case Study in Latin America
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26422/aucom.2026.1503.rodKeywords:
audiences, proximity media, journalistic routines, digital adaptation, local journalism, ChileAbstract
Proximity media constitute key actors in territorial communication ecosystems by making local issues visible and countering information centralism. Like large media outlets, they face a structural crisis marked by declining audiences and falling advertising revenues. However, evidence on the journalistic routines of local media located in territories far from metropolitan centers remains limited, particularly in the Chilean case. This study analyzes the journalistic routines and digital adaptation strategies of proximity media in two regions of northern Chile in a context of accelerated digital transformation. The study employed a qualitative multiple-case-study design, examining six local, popular, and territorially representative multiplatform media outlets. Data collection included six semi-structured interviews with editors, and a complementary questionnaire administered to 22 journalists, during the first half of 2024. Interview data were analyzed inductively using ATLAS.ti 25, while questionnaire responses were examined through descriptive analysis. The findings are organized around three main results: professional versatility among multitasking journalists producing content across different platforms under structural constraints; the co-productive role of audiences in the collaborative construction of the local news agenda; and the development of adaptive strategies based on external partnerships and the use of geographic proximity in content production. The study concludes that proximity media operate as private companies with a public purpose across commercial, community, and technological dimensions. They function with a limited number of professionals whose routines are shaped by commercial pressures and the demands of digital audiences, affecting editorial autonomy and subjecting them to a form of double subordination. In this context, their sustainability and democratizing functions are placed under strain, highlighting the need for sector-specific and decentralizing public policies.
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