Digital Deadlines: Time Pressure and Workflow Challenges for Multimedia Journalists in Malaysia

Abstract

The digital era has significantly transformed Malaysian TV newsrooms, establishing cross-platform journalism as a standard for delivering real-time content across television, web portals, and social media. While this shift creates new opportunities for audience engagement, it also introduces acute time pressures and complex workflow challenges. This study examines the strategies and coping mechanisms employed by Multimedia Journalists (MJs) in navigating digital deadlines and cross-platform demands, with a focus on how these pressures shape their professional practices in ensuring timely and accurate news delivery. Guided by Galtung and Ruge’s (1965) News Value Theory, adapted to reflect digital complexities, this qualitative study employs interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 purposively MJs from four TV newsrooms in Malaysia. Data saturation was achieved, offering rich insights into their lived experiences. Findings reveal two key superordinate themes essential to MJs’ effectiveness. The first, adaptive professionalism, encompasses cross-platform planning and proactive news engagement. The second theme, journalistic imperative, highlights their deep professional commitment, driven by intrinsic motivation, reputational stewardship against misinformation, and strict professional discipline. This study provides valuable insights for media organizations to better support MJs in balancing speed, accuracy, and ethical standards in Malaysia’s rapidly evolving digital news landscape. Future research could further investigate newsroom interventions or conduct cross-cultural comparisons to expand understanding of these challenges.

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