Extending gatekeeping principles to other media: An examination of information control on USENET

Gatekeeping involves the control of information as it flows along channels. This study examined gatekeeping on the distributed computer conferencing system, Usenet. The literature on gatekeeping in the mass media describes how organizational factors come to bear on decisions made by media gatekeepers. Organizational literature reveals that an organization's information needs and preferences, as well as management style, are influenced by organizational purpose, sector, and size. A model was derived of organizational influence on gatekeeping in Usenet. The model describes how organizational features determine climate (receptivity to information, management style). These in turn influence the nature and extent of policies regarding Usenet, as well as formality of gatekeeping structures, leading to criteria by which news administrators (gatekeepers) select content to be allowed on the Usenet server and, ultimately, to the contents of the server. Six hypotheses were used to test the model. A survey of news administrators in commercial and educational organizations yielded data on organizational policies, gatekeeper perceptions, and management styles. An analysis of computer files provided by respondents revealed the contents of their servers. Library searches were done to determine organizational sector and size. The model received only limited support from the data. It appears that very little gatekeeping goes on in Usenet at the organizational level. Aspects of the model that predicted outcomes based on information needs and preferences of organizations received no support. There was some evidence that management styles with regard to Usenet vary with organizational characteristics along the lines predicted by the model. Educational organizations had a greater incidence of policies than commercial organizations. Their news administrators also had less perceived freedom to make selection decisions. However, contrary to expectation, commercial organizations had more diverse content on the server. The findings of this study need not detract from the value of the model. It is likely that as Usenet's utility as an information resource becomes more apparent and the risks associated with allowing unscrutinized content on the server increase, the extent of gatekeeping will increase. If so, organizational influences are likely to conform more to the model.