Instant Messaging at a Virtual Newsroom

This research examines an entertainment website, Jezebel.com, to understand how the site’s use of a virtual newsroom and computer-mediated communication influences organizational dynamics and culture. By employing a case study of Jezebel, this research utilized in-depth interviews and observations to examine the role of instant messaging (IM) in organizing work and shaping organizational culture. The primary research question was: How does IM affect communication and organizational dynamics? The answer to this question was embedded within two assumptions posed in the introduction—that a virtual newsroom will utilize a more lateral power configuration rather than a hierarchical organizational structure, and that the culture will promote a sense of creativity and community because instant messaging is a more informal mode of communication than faceto-face, email, or telephone interaction.