Instant Messaging and the Virtual Newsroom A Case Study of Jezebel: Celebrity, Sex, Fashion for Women

This research examines an entertainment website, Jezebel: Celebrity, Sex, Fashion for Women (www.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.com, this research used 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; the culture will promote a sense of creativity and community because instant messaging is a more informal mode of communication than face-to-face, e-mail, or telephone interaction.