Network Histories: Methods and Measures for Studying Interdependence and Interconnectedness Within Digital Journalism

This article details “network histories” as a methodological approach for studying organizations, teams, and individuals in digital journalism. Network histories trace the pattern of prior relationships between actors (e.g., organizations and individuals). The network histories approach provides an analytical and methodological framework that builds on extant networks scholarship and enables an examination of the role that an actor’s prior histories have on subsequent activities. This approach is particularly useful for examining how changes in media and technology affect the organizations, teams, and individuals who produce digital journalism and other communication content. We detail the network histories approach in the context of analyzing the work histories and relations that shape the production of digital journalism. We also discuss future avenues for applying network histories to digital journalism research.