Becoming Journalists Under Pressure: Student Media and Professional Socialization in Crisis Contexts
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Manship School of Mass Communication
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
This dissertation explores the early career socialization of emerging professionals to better understand how novices transition into their occupation, become members of their occupation, and think of themselves as members of the occupation, as well as how crisis situations may contribute to this process, using student journalists as a case study. Student journalists are a useful lens through which to explore how transitional spaces act as important sites of identity formation, as they occupy a dual role of trainee and practitioner while learning to be professionals. More broadly, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of occupational identity formation by highlighting the role these transitional spaces can play in a trainee’s identity development as they prepare to enter their chosen field. Analyzing survey and interview data, I examined student journalists’ and collegiate media advisers’ ideas of journalistic roles; how students learn and enact occupational values and beliefs; and how covering a crisis affects the way student journalists think about their work, as both members of the community and reporters. The findings show that, for many students, crises serve to accelerate professional socialization, as they relied on their training and prior knowledge to guide their work and decision making while reporting during a crisis, which are circumstances where normal routines often break down. While students already held certain occupational ideals they learned both in the classroom and the newsroom, covering a crisis also allowed them space to navigate ethical gray areas and apply abstract concepts to real-world situations, helping to shape their ethical frameworks. Additionally, these events helped form students’ professional identities, as they sometimes caused a renegotiation or re-evaluation of acceptable practices for journalists, often leading to metajournalistic discourse with their fellow journalists and with outside actors.
Date
5-13-2026
Recommended Citation
Booth, Hayley M., "Becoming Journalists Under Pressure: Student Media and Professional Socialization in Crisis Contexts" (2026). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 7080.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/7080
Committee Chair
Moon Mari, Ruth
LSU Acknowledgement
1
LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment
1