Models of generating cultural authority: Academics and journalists on a digital platform

Abstract

This study investigates the motivations and practices of information professions using a digital platform, with a focus on expanding definitions of cultural authority. While prior research has explored models such as citizen science and engaged journalism, which propose changes in the relationships between information producers, consumers, and content, limited attention has been given to professionals' practices and motivations for adopting different models. To address this gap, I conducted 78 interviews with information professionals who write digital newsletters and analyzed their professional backgrounds and newsletter texts. Through this analysis, four dominant models of generating cultural authority emerged, which are linked to how professionals use digital platforms, as well as their goals for information production. Professionals generate cultural authority as (1) hierarchical expertise to produce knowledge as a public good; (2) accountability and transparency to contest dominant discourses; (3) intimacy and trust to exercise creativity; and (4) the incorporation of positionality and multiple perspectives to foster community. The findings challenge the prevailing notion that professionals' practices are primarily influenced by access to capital, instead highlighting the significance of motivations and the redefinition of roles and goals in content production. By illuminating the shifting meanings of expertise and professionalism on new media platforms, the study contributes to ongoing debates about truth, value, public trust, and the role of information professionals in public life.