RESEARCH   http://doi.org/10.15198/seeci.2021.54.e634

Received: 02/03/2021 --- Accepted: 29/03/2021 --- Published: 12/04/2021

MENOS NO SIEMPRE ES MÁS. CÓMO EL TAMAÑO DE LOS MEDIOS CONDICIONA LAS PRÁCTICAS EXTRACURRICULARES EN PERIODISMO

How to cite the article:

García-Borrego, M., Gómez-Calderón, B., and Córdoba-Cabús, A. (2021). Less is not always more. How media size conditions internships in Journalism. Revista de Comunicación de la SEECI, 54, 79-95. http://doi.org/10.15198/seeci.2021.54.e634

RESUMEN

MENOS NEM SEMPRE É MAIS. COMO O TAMANHO DOS MEIOS DE COMUNICAÇÃO CONDICIONA AS PRÁTICAS EXTRACURRICULARES NO JORNALISMO

RESUMO:

Translation by Paula González (Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, Venezuela)

INTRODUCTION

The external internships sponsored by the university fulfill a double function for students: on the one hand, they bring them closer to the reality of work to try to achieve a "comprehensive education (...) through educational cooperation programs", this being the objective for which they were initially conceived (see Royal Decree 592/2014, of July 11^th); and on the other, they represent for them the main entryway to the journalistic profession (APM, 2010-2018). That is to say: what originally had an eminently educational nature, currently represents a necessary gateway to a future job, so that the academic component of this activity has actually ended up coexisting with the purely work component.

When developing their internships, students access a professional community in which they learn —tacitly and through continuous praxis— both from the rest of the editors and from the situations they must face in their daily work (Dreyfus & Dreyfus, 1986; Gravengaard & Rimestad, 2014; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Splichal & Sparks, 1994; Wenger, 1998). This learning of journalism routines, which ranges from value systems to work guidelines, is key in the student's socialization and subsequent professional development (Cohen-Scali, 2003; Cotter, 2010; Hall, 1976).

Despite the relevance of this first contact with the exercise of journalism in the configuration of the work culture of future editors, the conditions in which these internships are developed and their possible effects, as well as the circumstances that favor taking greater advantage of them, have hardly been addressed so far by the academy.

In Spain, the first studies started with Cantalapiedra, Coca, and Bezunartea (2000), who detected in the Basque Country one of the most common dysfunctions of this type of stay: despite being still in the training phase, once the surveyed students got to the newsrooms, they performed the tasks of professional staff. The media, in many cases with more interns than senior writers, depended on the students for their livelihood, so the need to seek maximum productivity ended up imposing itself over the educational aspect of the internships.

Years later,Blanco (2005) revealed a practically identical reality in Malaga: almost nine out of ten internship students considered that their work replaced that of a hired professional. The majority claimed to broadly and systematically exceed the hours signed by the agreement and felt that the reception institutions were abusing them at work. In fact, a third of those consulted did not receive any financial compensation for their tasks. Even so, 97.5% perceived the internship as a good complement to their education, and overall satisfaction was very high.

Lamuedra (2007), for her part, analyzed the curricular practices of the Carlos III University of Madrid, where, once again, there was a perversion of the system where students were required to dedicate more hours than stipulated to fill the gap that a regular worker had to fill, within the framework of an internship incorporated as a subject in the study plan —and, therefore, unpaid—. The students, far from regretting this situation, were satisfied to be able to experience first-hand, as a senior editor would do, the multiple casuistries of the exercise of the profession—even those that incurred journalistic malpractice—.

Parallel to these publications, voices emerged that advocated greater regulation of internships to mark clear distances between their educational purpose and business interests, whose marriage is not always compatible (Udías, 2006). Since then, a decade passed until fieldwork was carried out again to measure the progress in the development of internships; Previously, Pérez-Serrano, Rodríguez-Barba, and Rodríguez-Pallarés (2015) had analyzed the offers of the internship service of the Complutense University of Madrid, concluding that the average remuneration was around 225 euros for five hours a day, although there were cases that contributed a meager 175 euros for almost 35 hours a week.

In recent years, therefore, the empirical study of external internships has been resumed through questionnaires to students. In Málaga, GGarcía-Borrego and Roses (2016) andGarcía-Borrego, Roses, and Farias (2017) observed that the so-called “aid bag” for students had grown slightly compared to Blanco's previous work (2005) —the majority were at the 360 euros that the university’s regulations stipulate as a minimum (UMA, 2020)—, although the time spent was still above what is included in the agreements: 6.6 hours on average compared to the 5 regulated hours. In any case, overall satisfaction continued at high levels (7.64 points out of 10), although a third of the sample gave a failure rating to the conditions in which internships were carried out.

More recent studies indicate a new improvement in the working conditions of students: at the UMA, the schedules barely exceed 6 hours on average and about 375 euros of remuneration are received, while at the UCM, the average day falls to 5 hours and 45 minutes and aid is around 270 euros per month, that is, about 45 more than in 2015 (Gómez-Calderón, García-Borrego, & Fernández-Sande, 2019; Pérez-Serrano, Rodríguez-Barba, & Rodríguez-Pallares, 2015). This last article also warns about the high percentage of students who carry out tasks with which they are not satisfied for ethical reasons —almost half of those surveyed— as well as the persistent neglect of the academic tutor —nine out of ten internship students, did not have contact with him during their stays—.

All this differs to a large extent from what is registered in other national contexts such as the Danish, in which students carry out similar functions to staff writers for 2,700 euros per month (Gravengaard & Rimestad, 2014), or the Finnish, where remuneration exceeds 1,700 euros (Jaakkola, 2019). In Germany, however, there is a situation that coincides with the Spanish one, since Journalism students "work a long number of hours in irregular shifts, often for little money, while trying to build a reputation" (Gollmitzer, 2014: 834). The comparison is complicated by broadening the focus to other countries, in the case of Anglo-Saxons, who do not have practice agreements approved throughout the national territory (Willig, 2016).

OBJECTIVES

Based on all of the above, this research for the first time emphasizes the role of the editorial structure of the media —already indicated as a relevant factor in previous works (Gómez-Calderón et al., 2019)— and pursues a fundamental objective: to describe the similarities and differences of the extracurricular internships of the degree in Journalism depending on the size of the host company.

METHODOLOGY

The data collection was done using the survey as a methodological tool, considering that it would be the best instrument to gather information on each of the aspects that determine the internships. The questionnaire was prepared from the reference contributions of national and international literature, both those expressly related to training stays in companies and those that address the professional routines and working conditions of senior journalists, including S Splichal and Sparks (1994), Weaver (1998), APM (2005-2018), Túñez (2009)Túñez (2009), Weaver and Willnat (2012), Túñez and Martínez-Solana (2014), or Suárez-Villegas (2015). Likewise, a battery of ad hoc questions was included to answer variables not yet explored and closely related to internships such as contact with tutors. The questionnaire was finally structured in three blocks: the first collected the registration information of the respondents (sex, age, section, university of origin, or remuneration), the second attended to professional routines (work hours, number of pieces made, or frequency of the relationship with the tutors), and the third dealt with the satisfaction levels of the students (measured through 11 variables: satisfaction with the tutors, with the workload, with the remuneration, etc.).

The survey was launched in the universities of Malaga and Complutense of Madrid, trying to combine in the same sample two profiles of well-differentiated centers: the one that welcomes the most students each year (660 new admission places per year), located in the capital of the country, and that of a peripheral province with a more modest numerus clausus (130). As it was not possible, for data protection reasons, to obtain the email addresses of the students who had carried out internships during the 2017-2018 academic year, the questionnaire was sent by email and in two waves —on October 15^th and 22^nd, 2018— to the last three promotions of the degree in Journalism from both universities (2013-2017, 2014-2018, and 2015-2019). Of all of them, 210 had responded after one month —29.2% of the total number of students who had done internships in that period, according to the data provided by the employability services of each institution—, which ended up being 143 once those who had performed institutional communication tasks in cabinets were separated, on the understanding that since these companies are generally small and deal with different tasks, they would distort the interpretation of the results.

After also eliminating the anomalous or erroneous files with the SPSS statistical program, a descriptive statistical analysis was carried out, dividing the sample into three groups based on the size of the medium in which they had developed their practices: small (20 employees or less), medium (with more than 20 and less than 100), and large (100 or more workers).

RESULTS

Conditions and routines of internships

The average remuneration received by students is similar in all the considered entities —between 280.81 euros for the medium and 296.94 euros for the large ones—, but the differences in the standard deviations (see table 2) require further analysis.

Table 2: Conditions of the internships depending on the size of the media outlet.

	Small (1-20)	Medium (21-99)	Large (100+)
Remuneration (DT)	295.67 € (164.96 €)	280.81 € (126.82 €)	296.94 € (94.07 €)
Hours spent per day (DT)	5h 54m (1h 39m)	6h 13m (1h 40m)	6h 44m (1h 42m)
Pieces made per day (DT)	4.82 (3.65)	3.98 (2.61)	4.15 (4.02)

Source: Self-made based on surveys of interns.

Thus, different patterns are observed concerning the amount of aid granted to students: it is more common that they do not receive benefits of any kind in small and medium-sized newsrooms —this is the case of 13.7% and 10.4% of respondents, respectively—, while in the large companies this group barely represents 2.7% of the total. However, once certain thresholds are crossed, the opposite phenomenon manifests itself: it is the smallest ones that tend to disburse larger amounts when it comes to subsidizing their students. In this sense, it stands out that more than half of the students in small mediums (51.5%) exceed the figure of 300 euros compared to 38.1% in medium-sized and 22.9% in large ones. This peculiarity in remuneration is reflected in graph 1.

Graph 1: Distribution of remuneration according to the size of the company.

Source: Self-made based on surveys of interns.

In the schedules, a certain staggering is perceived, so that the transit from a smaller medium to a larger one entails an increase in the working day of approximately 30 minutes. In this way, students in small companies would work around one hour less on average than those in large companies (5 hours and 54 minutes versus 6 hours and 44 minutes). Again, this distribution is not homogeneous, although the pattern in this case, is somewhat more evident: in small entities, only 26.5% of the students exceed 6 hours; in medium-sized ones, 37.2%; and, in large ones 58.7%. These data match the type of workday of the students: in the small ones, 45.5% enjoy a shift only in the morning, a type of schedule much less common in the rest of the institutions (23.3% in medium ones and 28.6% in large ones).

Regarding the number of pieces made by those surveyed, it is those from small mediums that show the highest average (4.82 per day, compared to 3.98 from medium-sized ones and 4.15 from large ones). This is mainly because among them is the estimable group of students (13.8%) who write 10 texts or more since, if the reference is placed in 5 pieces, the figures are coincident —around one-quarter of students exceed this load in any newsroom—.

The questionnaire also inquired about the degree of proactivity of the students and the frequency with which they faced certain ethical dilemmas. Regarding the first issue, there is a certain uniformity in terms of proposing topics —they do it very frequently in 65.1% of medium-sized institutions and 73.9% of small ones⁴— but there is a gradation concerning the informative approach: in small entities, 65.1% of the students usually intervene in it —or, at least, they are allowed to express their opinion. In medium-sized companies, this proportion falls to 58.2%, and in large companies, to 51.4%⁵.

This same progression, although in reverse, is observed when students are asked if they have signed pieces that they dislike because they have undergone substantial changes concerning the original. In the small mediums it usually or always occurs to 18.2% of the students, to 28.0% in the medium ones, and 31.4% in the large ones. Although this, a priori, speaks to the detriment of the larger institutions, it should be noted that it is also in them where there is a higher proportion of respondents who have never faced this type of situation (51.4% of the total), compared to 39.4% in the small ones and 37.2% in the medium ones. Therefore, it is in the large media where fewer students sign pieces that they dislike, but also where, when this situation occurs, it does so with greater intensity. Regarding the performance of unethical tasks, the results are even in all media: approximately half of those consulted had carried them out regardless of the size of the company.

Finally, we wanted to know to what extent the contact of the students with the two tutors, the professional one, appointed by the company, and the academic one, representative of the university⁶, differed. The preponderance of the professional one is evident in all cases, but as the size of the newsroom increases, the relationship loses fluidity. In the small media, 31.8% settle their affairs with this figure daily, and an additional 10.6% do so several times a week (in total, 42.4%); in the large ones, the percentages decrease respectively to 17.1 and 5.7% (added, 22.8% of the sample). In fact, in large newsrooms, the majority do not know or have never contacted their professional tutor (51.5%), while in small newsrooms the proportion, even though it is also high, does not exceed one-third (33.4%). The academic tutor, on the other hand, is unknown by practically half of the students, and only 7.6% have associated with him in small companies, 2.3% in medium-sized companies, and 2.9% in large companies (see graphs 2 and 3).

Graph 2: Frequency of contact with the company tutor.

Source: Self-made based on surveys of interns.

Graph 3: Frequency of contact with the university tutor.

Source: Self-made based on surveys of interns.

DISCUSSION

The main objective of this research was to determine the characteristics of extracurricular internships based on the size of the company in which they are carried out. Although indeed, radically different models have not been found based on the data presented, it is feasible to propose some differential features and, thus, expand the available knowledge on how the first contact of Journalism students with the labor market takes place. The final purpose of the authors would be to guide on some aspects that should be corrected in the current university-company agreements, to ensure a fruitful and guaranteeing internship experience, something that the available literature has been missing in the last twenty years, with the consequences that this has for the exercise of the profession (Blanco, 2005; Cantalapiedra et al., 2000; García-Borrego et al., 2017; Lamuedra, 2007).

In general, in small companies, internships are distinguished by being more distributed throughout the year, perhaps because students are seen as a continuous reinforcement for the workforce, although it is still in summer where most of the students are concentrated, usually in fixed sections. A significant number of these internships do not involve remuneration, but in those institutions in which students are financially compensated, the amount tends to exceed that of medium and large companies. The hours are usually shorter but they bring with them a workload comparable to that of the rest of the media, the students enjoy more freedom when it comes to deciding the approach —or, at least, their opinion is taken into account—, they are a minority who regularly sign news that bothers them because they have undergone changes —although a good part of them have done so at some time—, and they maintain more fluid communication with tutors, in particular with the professional one, than in other companies. Even so, the satisfaction rates are at the same level as in the other groups, and, in fact, the majority would prefer to go elsewhere if the possibility arises.

Medium-sized companies also have some distinctive characteristics. They are the ones that show the greatest regularity when calling internships —although, again, a clear preference for the summer period is observed— and the ones that imply the least workload for the student, but they are also the lowest-paid, both because there is a considerable number of unpaid positions, and for paying rather modest amounts in the event of gratification. In the rest of the aspects contemplated —number of hours dedicated, rotation by sections, contact with tutors, freedom to intervene in the approach, and changes suffered by the pieces— they are located halfway between small and large companies. Whether for these or other reasons, the majority of respondents here also expressed their desire to leap to another media outlet in the future.

Finally, large companies stand out for the predominance of summer internships —more than 80% of the cases—, perhaps because, as the scientific literature reports, to a large extent, students cover the absences of senior writers. Somewhat more qualified than the rest of their classmates, it is also more common for students to rotate through the different sections of the medium instead of being framed in a fixed area. Almost all the internships are paid, although less generously than in the small and medium-sized media outlets, and they tend to involve a longer time commitment. In the routines, greater control by the newsroom is observed —the influence of the students in the news approach is more limited and a good part of them continually undergo changes in their articles with which they are not satisfied—, although this control is not exercised by the tutor, with whom they maintain the least fluid relationship of the three models. Despite everything, the feeling of belonging is much greater, while, unlike the respondents from the rest of the media, in the large companies the aspiration to remain in the company prevails.

These findings should be complemented in future studies taking into account certain variables that, although they have been considered, require a more in-depth analysis, probably through qualitative methodologies. In this sense, questions arise about the type of pieces made, whose figures are difficult to explain in certain circumstances: to what extent can an intern really exceed the ten daily texts with days of between five and six hours? Is it, in this case, the same type of pieces as those of those who make two or three, or on the contrary, do they have a lower degree of elaboration and imply less intense efforts?

They also plan, in this line, questions related to the degree of learning obtained in each of the media, particularly in terms of the routines applied. Do students perceive they learn more the more texts they write, thus fostering skills such as speed and efficiency, or is it more of a mechanical job —the adaptation of press releases, for example— and internships work better with a workload focused on fewer pieces?

Similarly, questions are raised regarding the satisfaction and aspirations of students. Apparently, internships in small companies are characterized by more comfortable routines and conditions: in most cases, the hours are shorter, more generous remuneration is received, the student's opinion is taken more into account, contact with the tutors is more fluid, and pieces that raise ethical issues are only rarely signed. And yet, the satisfaction is equal to that shown in larger media: ultimately, although they impose fewer demands outside the agreement and work in them is more rewarding, small companies are not able to retain more loyalty from their interns, but on the contrary. This may be due to a romantic conception of the profession, which leads students to believe that the best journalism is developed in large corporations; promotion opportunities, which seem more viable the greater the size of the medium; or to factors related to learning or other aspects that have escaped the scope of this study.

Whatever the reasons, we intended with our work to delve into how host entities determine the internship experience of Journalism students, and in this sense, we believe we have outlined several differentiating patterns. It would be desirable for the larger media companies to incorporate some of the routines perceived in small companies, where the treatment of the student seems more rewarding; and in any case, that all entities put educational needs before purely commercial criteria.

REFERENCES

AUTHORS:

Manuel García-Borrego

He has a postdoctoral contract at the Department of Journalism at the University of Malaga. In his five years of research activity, he has published more than a dozen articles in journals indexed in Scopus such as El Profesional de la información, Latina de Comunicación Social, Cuadernos.info, or Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, as well as book chapters in editorials such as Tirant Lo Blanch Gedisa, Pirámide, or Dykinson. He also has about thirty presentations at international conferences. His main research interests are training in Journalism and external curricular and extracurricular internships.

manoletus@uma.es

Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6207-8741

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=6MOjiLMAAAAJ&hl=es

Bernardo Gómez-Calderón

Associate Professor of Journalism at the University of Malaga, where he has taught undergraduate and graduate studies since 1999. He researches in the areas of journalistic genres, political information, and social networks, counting on his credit with more than 60 scientific publications including articles, books, and book chapters. He has published in the Latina de Comunicación Social, Comunicar, Comunicación y Sociedad, Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, and El Profesional de la Información, among others. Since 2001, he has continuously participated in national and regional R&D projects. He is currently the coordinator of the Master in Research on Media, Audiences, and Professional Practice in Europe.

bjgomez@uma.es

Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2537-7042

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=QJV5oDYAAAAJ&hl=es

Alba Córdoba-Cabús

Doctoral student with a University Teacher Training Aid (FPU). Graduated in Journalism from the University of Malaga in 2016 and Master’s in Research on Media, Audiences, and Professional Practice in Europe in 2017. During her studies, she carried out internships in several media and communication companies (El Día de Córdoba, Canal Málaga RTV, and Coonic) and was a collaborating student in the Department of Journalism with a grant from the Ministry. After completing her education, she worked as a Technician in Event Management and Organization at the Montilla City Council and the Department of Communication, Events, and Exhibitions at Tragsatec. Her main works focus on Data Journalism, identifying patterns, and how information is materialized.

albacordoba@uma.es

Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3519-0583

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=xzzMtQ0AAAAJ&hl=es