Ethnography of Media Production: An Endangered Species?

Over the last three decades, the relationship between ethnography and communication studies has deepened. Yet, the meaning of “media ethnography” remains contested, as communication scholars describe a wide variety of research practices as “ethnographic.” This article overviews the broader literature on ethnography in communication research with a focus on the contributions of media production ethnography. Specifically, the paper examines the value of long-term, in-depth engagement with research subjects. It concentrates on ethnographic methods’ capacity to open a unique and behind-the-scenes view of media production and examines the readable and engaging storytelling style of this type of research. To illustrate the value of media production research, this article draws on contemporary newsroom ethnographies as well as the recently published books of Natalia Roudakova's Losing Pravda, Alexander Fattal's Guerrilla Marketing, and Narges Bajoghli's Iran Reframed. The analysis reveals that despite the challenges, ethnographic research remains invaluable to the study of media.