ABSTRACT
Enterprises structurally, socially and ideologically embedded in those localities and communities – reflected in the values, understandings and practices which inform their business models and their journalism. The willingness on the part of professional journalists to share control of the narrative with the wider community represents a significant disruption to the doxa of journalism: the taken-for-granted assumptions, principles and practices that inform the field and organise action within it. Local journalism is framed largely as a set of practices and institutions which serve a public interest. Local newspapers play multifaceted roles in building social networks and maintaining connectivity, generating and reinforcing representations of place, community and a sense of belonging. Collaboration can come hard for journalists, socialised into the competitive culture of the newsroom.
