Crafting standards of news quality on cross-media platforms: Exploring the perspectives of multimedia journalists through interpretative phenomenological analysis

This study explores the crafting of news quality standards on cross -media platforms to enhance journalistic practices among multimedia journalists (MJs) in broadcast media organisations in Malaysia. Guided by the News Value Theory, semi-structured interviews with 15 MJs were conducted and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify the superordinate and subordinate themes. Findings reveal three superordinate themes, namely commodities, journalism principles and newsworthiness to shareworthiness. In crafting the standards of quality in news on cross -media platforms, media organisations should develop and enforce a comprehensive code of ethics that prioritises accuracy, objectivity, and transparency in reporting. Additionally, implementing rigorous fact-checking processes and mechanisms for discerning quality news from misinformation promotes responsible and accountable reporting among MJs. In conclusion, the challenges posed by the digital transformation in the media landscape underline the need for a national response from the media industry to navigate future practices while maintaining journalistic integrity standards.