Förändring av journalisters arbetsmiljö

Sammanfattning: This thesis deals with problems concerning describing and understanding work environmental conditions. It also stresses the question of how to improve human work organizations - structures as well as processes from a human work science point of view. The empirical studies consists of two projects in the newspaper industry. The first project was a work environment study of twelve periodicals (8 newspapers and 4 magazines). Among positive factors we found autonomy, variety, creativity, "enlightenment", etc; among negative factors deadline pressures, Inconvenient and irregular working hours, and faulty management. Our results indicate that editors and managing editors carry the heaviest workload, followed by (in descending order) all-round reporters, sports reporters and branch office editors. The newspaper industry is characterised as being unique in many ways. Significant variation was found with respect to economic results and the number of employees engaged in newspaper companies with almost the same daily circulation - partly the effect of subsidizing, which in turn results from the unique status of the press as "a third branch of government". Patterns in the development of the industry's "daily newspapers", current and new techniques and the movement for recognition as professionals among journalists are all carefully investigated. In the second project the aim was to develop practical measures designed to improve the working environment at two medium-sized provincial newspapers. The basic strategy supported more long-term planning, more convenient routines, and a more well-suited distribution of responsibilities in production organization. One main conclusion is that more attention should be paid to change itself. This process-understanding is here strongly connected to such concepts as external and internal forces, "change-carriers", and "strategic candidates" developed by the members of the organization.