Assessing the Co-Occurrence of Professional Roles in the News: A Comparative Study in Six Advanced Democracies

Authors

  • María Luisa Humanes University Rey Juan Carlos Department of Communication Sciences and Sociology Spain
  • Claudia Mellado Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaiso School of Journalism Chile
  • Cornelia Mothes Macromedia University of Applied Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
  • Henry Silke University of Limerick College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Ireland
  • Patric Raemy Université de Fribourg Department of Mass Media and Communication Research Switzerland
  • Nikos Panagiotou Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Journalism and Mass Media Studies Greece

Keywords:

Role performance, professional roles, journalistic cultures, news, media practices, newspapers, intermediate roles

Abstract

Based on a content analysis of 22 newspapers from the United States, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Greece (N = 10,512), this study addresses the overlapping nature of professional role performance in the news. The authors analyze the interaction and co-occurrence of the interventionist, watchdog, loyal-facilitator, service, civic, and infotainment roles. The results show three main types of role co-occurrence—interventionist-watchdog, watchdog-civic, and interventionist-infotainment—from which intermediate roles emerge. The findings also shed light on the influence of organizational structures, journalistic routines, and local contexts on the interaction of different roles in professional practice.

Author Biographies

María Luisa Humanes, University Rey Juan Carlos Department of Communication Sciences and Sociology Spain

PhD. in Communication SciencesAssociated Professor at Communication Sciences and Sociology, University Rey Juan Carlos.Research interest: Journalism studies and Quantitative Social Research. Current project: 'Journalistic Role Performance.Adress: Camino del Molino, 528907 Fuenlabrada (Spain)Phone number: 003414888210 

Claudia Mellado, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaiso School of Journalism Chile

PhD. in Communication SciencesClaudia Mellado is a professor of Journalism at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile. She is the Principal Investigator of the Journalistic Role Performance cross-national study (www.journalisticperformance.org)Phone number:56-32227 49 67

Cornelia Mothes, Macromedia University of Applied Sciences, Leipzig, Germany

Ph.D. in CommunicationCornelia Mothes is a professor at the Media Faculty at Macromedia University of Applied Sciences, Leipzig. Cornelia does research in Political Communication, Journalism, and Media Psychology, based on quantitative social research methods.Phone number:39 3755674355 

Henry Silke, University of Limerick College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Ireland

PhD. in CommunicationResearch interests include the role of communications systems in market crises; business and financial journalism and its role(s) in contemporary polity and society; journalistic role performance; journalism and ideology; journalism and the framing of inequality; alternative journalism and counter-hegemony.Phone number: 353-(0)61-202700

Patric Raemy, Université de Fribourg Department of Mass Media and Communication Research Switzerland

Research Assistant. His research interest focuses on journalism studies.Phone number: 41 26 300 84 64

Nikos Panagiotou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Journalism and Mass Media Studies Greece

Assistant Professor He has been a Chevening Scholar of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Socrates Scholar at Universidade Fernando Pessoa (Portugal), Scholar of the State of Luxembourg, at the University of Luxembourg, and RCAP Scholar from APU University, Japan. He is a peer-reviewer at St. Antony’s International Review Oxford University, Multi-Disciplinary Scientific Journal of International Black Sea University, and Journal of Culture and Society and a member of the advisory board of peer reviewers for Networking Knowledge. He has participated in a series of scientific researches, has published articles in International and Greek journals and in edited volumes. His research interests are in Global Journalism, Political Communication, Mass Media Literacy, Conflict Analysis, and Resolution.Phone number: 30 231 099 2063

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Published

2021-07-29

Issue

Vol. 15 (2021)

Section

Articles

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