Video Reuse As Routine: An Interview Study Among Regional PSM Journalists in the Netherlands

In an era of convergence of print, social and broadcast media, videos have emerged as pivotal in news and journalism. By combining insights from journalism studies and archival studies, we investigate how journalists reuse existing videos in their new productions. To this end, we conducted in-depth reconstruction interviews with 25 journalists working for eight regional Public Service Media (PSM) organizations across the Netherlands. By studying video reuse as routine, we investigate whether and how regional journalists reuse videos across different sources and which considerations underpin these routine practices. Based on the interviews, we show how journalists at regional PSM organizations navigate complex decisions when searching, selecting and editing archived videos, ensuring that their work maintains credibility and serves the public interest. In addition, we demonstrate the important role of (availability of) sources and archives in daily journalistic practice.