Journalism in grief: adaptation to the digital environment in Chile after the Social Outbreak and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study examines how two relevant crises, the 2019 social outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic, influenced the adaptation of Chilean journalism to the challenges of the digital environment. A qualitative approach was used based on 41 in-depth interviews with practicing journalists during both events, followed by 50 interviews with editors of traditional and alternative media who reflected retrospectively on the consequences of these events for the profession. The analysis concluded that Chilean journalism experienced in the past four years stages similar to those of grief: denial, anger, negotiation, depression, and acceptance. Both the social outbreak and the pandemic accelerated the modernization and adaptation processes to new technologies by Chilean newsrooms and, at the same time, forced professionals to rethink and redefine the scope of journalism as a profession.