(Person) Percentage - Sabanci University Research Database

The Asian Media & Mass Communication Conference 2010 Osaka, Japan
To examine each of the wide and varied definitions on social capital would be self-defeating.
Given its many interpretations, it is in danger of becoming a fad or fashion and abandoned for
its lack of distinctive features and contributions to scientific knowledge. (Lin, Burt & Cook
2001, p. 1) The literature on social capital, however, is divided into two broad streams – one
conceptualises the actor as socialised and governed by social norms, rules and obligations and
the other, stemming from organisational and economic scholars, understands the actor as
having goals independently arrived at, in having a principle of action, to maximise utility.
(Coleman 1988) There is limited literature specifically examining the way social capital is
valued and acquired within the regional newspaper context from the production,
dissemination and reproduction of news and information. Some have highlighted the
importance of social capital and regional newspapers in terms of how they connect with
readers and their community building function ((Bowd 2009; Kreuters 1998; McManamey
2004; Putnam, R 1993). Others such as Coleman (Coleman 1988) consider information
channels a form of social capital, while Kilpatrick (Kilpatrick 2002) highlights the value of
community newspapers as an example of the formal structures which assist people to “use
their knowledge and skills along with the knowledge and skills of others” (p447).
This paper argues that the deliberate and conscious acquisition of social capital (Bourdieu
1986) should be core to any business strategy for a viable regional newspaper. If such
investment ceases, or is not resourced and nurtured, then surely this will affect the viability of
the publication, yet some of the more widely cited theorists in this field such as James
Coleman, take a rational theory approach and suggest that social capital is a by-product of an
individual’s self-interest (Coleman 1994). Much of the literature on regional newspapers and
social capital overlooks the economic reality of these institutions, preferring to focus on their
civic culture, community building and ‘public good’ functions. The public good function of a
newspaper is vital to a thriving democracy and represents a form of social capital for a
newspaper and its community. It could, however, be considered as part of a holistic view of
news content incorporating, for example, advertising and classifieds, which is not given space
in academic discussion around newspapers and social capital theory. This paper argues that
any examination of the regional media and the value of social capital must consider that
social capital is rooted in economics and both editorial and advertising content are sources of
social capital for a regional newspaper.
This paper will begin by outlining the important and unique role commercial regional
newspapers play in Australian communities before mapping the evolution of social capital
thought and its relationship to news and information. I will focus specifically on the work of
the four most widely cited theorists in this field, Pierre Bourdieu, Jane Jacobs, James
Coleman and Robert Putnam. I will argue that the work of network theorists such as Ronald
Burt and his concept of brokerage opportunities from structural holes, offers some important
insight into the tiers of social capital which exist within the regional newspaper network.
The state of the regional Australian news media
Media scholarship is largely concerned with the production, circulation and consumption of
‘big’ media, including the operation and effects of international corporations and global
media flows, metropolitan news organisations and the media workers who form their ranks
(Hess & Waller 2010). Researchers have paid relatively little attention to ‘small’ regional or
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